Fated Alley
by Sabrulee
Summary: Wealthy 22 year old Inuyasha lives in modern day Tokyo, but he's alone. What happens when he mimics a night he had 15 years ago...but instead of finding a stray cat like he did when he was 7 he finds a girl and decides to keep her as his pet/companion?IxK
1. Fated Alley

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters.

Enjoy. -Sabrulee.

Chapter 1,  
Fated Alley

Inuyasha sighed as he walked down the rainy streets of Tokyo on a cold winter night. The crisp hair nipped at his throat as he breathed in and out, vaguely watching as his breath became visible and danced off into the night. Random unrecognizable faces stared out from the darkness at him as he passed by. They were, of coarse, shocked to see one of Tokyo's richest men walking the streets in the middle of the night during a down pour. Actually they were probably just amazed to see him walking at all, what with all his limos and expensive sports cars. Not to mention the expensive suit he had forgotten he was still wearing...

A police siren could be heard in the distance but his pace didn't change.

He was one of the youngest millionaires in the world and constantly appeared on magazines in Japan and other countries, everyone knew him. But he didn't know any of them, not a single face on that dark street was familiar to him and that was exactly how he liked it. Why bother trying to interact with those humans? They only wanted to use him, somehow gain what he had through him. It was like they thought if they rubbed up against him enough some of his fame and money would just flake off on to them. All those women pretending to love him, begging for marriage, just so they could devorse him and take half his hard earned riches, the money he sweated and bled for for years. He would never love a human, it was a waste of time. All they did was take and lie.

Inuyasha laughed to himself as he adjusted his black umbrella, they were all just greedy users. Something cold and wet unlike rain landed on his nose and he glanced up at the sky as the rain began to freeze in the bellow zero temperature. It was snowing...without warning he was pulled in to a distant memory of his childhood..

"Mommy!" the younger version of himself ran past him on the street arms stretched out towards the back of a woman he could only fuzzily remember. "Mommy look at the snow!"

The woman turned around to catch her child in her arms, "Yes honey, isn't it pretty?"

"Can we build a snowman?" the little hanyou looked up at his human mother expectantly, eyes sparkling in the night.

"Sure we can, when we get home okay? Then we'll have some hot cocoa and get in our pyjamas and I'll read you a story! Okay? How's that sound Inuyasha?"

"'Kay!" He smiled cheek to cheek revealing that he was missing a tooth in his childish grin.

Inuyasha chuckled to himself, he had been so excited when he had lost that tooth. The whole tooth fairy thing and all... being a child was so...easy. His memories wavered and continue,

"Hey mom do you hear that..?" the pair had started walking again but the little boy had suddenly stopped ears perking underneath his wool hat.

"Hmm..?" his mother hummed absentmindedly, thinking about what she would make for supper when they got home.

"Can't you hear it? Stop..wait!" The boy tore his hand from his mother's and took off running into a dark alley a little ways back.

His mother immediately began yelling at him, "Inuyasha! Where do you think you're going? Get back here!" The thickness of worry and panic layered in her voice almost made Inuyasha sick. He had always put his mother through a lot. "Where are you? INUYASHA!" She dropped the bags she was holding and ran after her son.

"Look mommy..." the boy reappeared from the alley holding something small and dirty.  
"My god Inuyasha never do that to me again!" the grown Inuyasha watched as a single tear slid from his mother's cheek and landed in the snow melting through instantly as she held her son. He felt like walking over and slapping his former self in the back of the head, little runt nearly gave his mother a heart attack!

"No, but mommy look...!" the boy persisted sounding urgent and his mother looked down and gasped at what was in her boy's arm.

"Inuyasha..." his mother's voice was low and sympathetic now. "It's not moving..."

Cradled in his arms was a little black cat, barely recognizable as a feline because of it's starved and dirty appearance It's ribs clearly visible and a nasty smell emmiting from it's dirty matted fur.  
"No..I herd it..it meowed." He persisted, "I herd it meow..it looked up at me!"

"Honey, maybe..." his mother paused, "Maybe it was alive when you found it but..." she stopped again to wipe away some tears forming in her son's beautiful round golden eyes, "When it saw you and you rescued it... it was able to finally let go." The little boy finally broke and huge tears poured down his face, a few landing on the little cat's dirty fur.

"No..no.." he cried still holding the cat tightly and pushing his face deep into his mother's chest.

"It's okay honey.." His mother cooed running her hand through his long silver hair, "It's gone to a better place now..it's happy now, and you helped it get there."

The boy sniffled between sobs, "R-really..?"

"Really." His mother replied with what sounded like the most confidence anyone in the world had ever had in anything.

Inuyasha blinked and the hazy forms before him disappeared.. he pulled a pack of cigarets from a pocket on the inside of his suit and lit one. He breathed in heavenly and released after a few moments, the smoke spiralled and curled before disappearing into the sky above him. He remembered that little cat so vividly, he had found it in a cardboard box behind a garbage can, a dirty blanket was wrapped around it and when he approached it had looked up at him. Those big scared eyes, like he was the only person in the world. Unfortunately his mother was right and it had been too close to death, he hadn't been their in time to save it, and on the way home they stopped by the park to bury it in the frozen flower beds. His mother had offered to buy him a pet, maybe even a cat, many times in the future but he had declined every time. Inuyasha took another long drag on his smoke and sighed, maybe life wasn't easier as a child...

Suddenly his ears perked, it was like dejavu, he dropped his cigarette and turned walking slowly to the alley he had just watched his past self scurry to in a panic. But now no woman called after him, only the sound of the snow hitting the top of his umbrella. He turned and walked in, the alley was darker than the street, away from the lamp posts. It was also very dirty and smelt of garbage and dampness. He paused and looked around, what was he doing? There was no cat waiting here for him to rescue it like back when he was little...it was just a dirty alley full of garbage. He turned to walk away,

"Who are you..?" a weak voice tinkled out from the darkness like a wind chime and he stopped in his tracks. It sounded like a girl.

"Who's there?" He demanded seriously, his expression was no longer resembling that of his younger anxious self., "Come out."

"I can't..." the voice came again, sounding just as weak but now more defeated.

"What do you mean..? What are you doing in this dirty alley in the middle of the night?" Inuyasha squinted but their were just too many dark corners and their voices seemed to echo off the walls of the narrow brick corridor.

"I don't know..." the girl's voice sounded sad this time.

"Where are you?" Inuyasha didn't sound as agitated and as annoyed as he had been, this time he just sounded concerned.

"Near the back..." the voice hesitated, "Don't come over here."

"What do you mean? Of coarse I'm coming over there!" the snow hadn't stopped and it was quickly filling up the alley, making it harder than ever for him to trudge his way to the back and the source of the voice. Inuyasha looked around "Hey!"  
There was no reply, "Hey say something!" but the only thing he could hear was the echoing of his own voice right back at him. Why didn't he just leave? What did he care about this stranger...? Flash backs of the little cat came careening into his head like a run away train, he had been too late then... not this time.

"Hey..I can help you." he spoke with compassion he didn't even know he possessed, ever since his mother had died he had just turned himself off from the world. He focused on his studies and his job and just tuned the rest out. That was part of why he had been so successful, no temptations But now... he felt something he hadn't in a long time, worry. "ANSWER ME!"

"I'm here..." Inuyasha found the location of the voice before the owner could go silent again, he felt so relieved just hearing it.

"I'm coming." The voice didn't respond but he moved over in the direction of a knocked over garbage can and gasped as he moved it aside, there on the ground was a girl. A dirty broken girl. The only thing seeming to hold up her frail frame was a box she was leaning on. Her clothes were tattered and dirty and her skin was the same colour as the ground around her. Her eyes were dazed and empty, like someone had taken all the life and colour and just sucked it out of her.

"I told you not to come over here." as she said this her head lifted slightly and her eyes met his, Inuyasha didn't see a human's empty eyes anymore, he saw the scared eyes of the cat. And he lost control of his actions, as if a ghost had possessed him he carefully scooped up the dirty, smelly girl and began walking out of the alley. She didn't say anything she just kept looking at him with those familiar eyes and he felt like he was the only person in the world. This time was different though, this time he would save her.


	2. Stay With Me

Chapter 2,  
Stay With Me

A bright morning sun shone pleasantly through dark silk curtains in Inuyasha's bedroom. He stared at his little rescue-ee's face through surrounding matching dark sheets while she slept and vaguely wondered where she had come from. He knew he had found her at that fated alley but he wondered what was before the alley, did she have a family? Parents looking for her? Maybe a mother with a scared expression dropping her bags on a street somewhere, turning around and wondering where her child had gone? No that couldn't be the case...he watched the news and read the paper. No missing teenage girls like the one he found had been reported...

"Hmm..." he played with all the possibilities in his head and started to get agitated, was she a run away? Cast away? He got up and went to the kitchen, some cooking would help him relax. He remembered when he had first brought her home the night before, she had stared around his apartment with what he assumed was amazement Although it was kind of hard to tell her expressions because they all seemed sort of lifeless.

She hadn't said a thing while he washed her and changed her into one of his old dress shirts, he cooked her an omelet and she eat it enthusiastically before falling asleep at the table. That was when he had taken her to his bed and tucked her in. Inuyasha leaned down to grab a frying pan from one of lower cupboards and rubbed his back absentmindedly, the couch hadn't been the comfiest thing in the world that night...but much to his surprise he didn't mind. He turned on the stove and placed the frying pan down on the open gas flame, he then went to the fridge and pulled out some peppers and potatoes.

"Hello.." a small voice came from behind Inuyasha and he dropped the veggies, he definitely wasn't used to having someone else in his apartment.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He picked them up and turned around. Looking down at her, she really was tiny, her body was lost in his too big shirt.

"I'm fine." she gave a curt reply and Inuyasha shook his head, there was no way she could be fine.

"Alright well sit down I'm about to cook up something for breakfast." Inuyasha didn't like to brag because in his opinion it was kind of an embarrassing talent but he was a pretty good cook. She obeyed and went directly to the table she pulled out a chair and sat down. The hanyou chopped up the veggies while he waited for the pan to heat up and added butter. It melted quickly so he put in the potato cubes and diced peppers. After a little while of stirring and flipping Inuyasha dished out two servings and brought the plates to the table. The girl had just watched him silently the entire time. She sniffed the air and Inuyasha saw her smile for the first time, his legs almost gave out, she was beautiful.

"Smells good." the smile only lasted a few seconds, it was fleeting but he felt like it was worth a million of the forced smiles he endured from other people everyday of his life. He placed the food down in front of her but didn't touch his own. He just watched her eating, after a few minutes he finally spoke, asking a question that had been plaguing him all night.

"What's your name, girl?" Inuyasha gazed at her with intense eyes. The girl paused for a moment, then answered.

"I don't know." She replied in between a big bite of peppers, the girl didn't look away from her food while he spoke to her.

"What do you mean? You don't have a name?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Everyone had a name.

"I don't know." She repeated, she didn't sound angry or annoyed. She just sounded indifferent, like it didn't matter.

"Feh." Inuyasha looked away from her annoyed, that wasn't really the answer he was looking for.

"Are you mad?" The girl looked up from her food finally and stared curiously at him, his face took on a peculiar shade of red.

"No! I just think everyone should have a name..!" He felt embarrassed, it wasn't like it was her fault she didn't have a name.

"Then give me one." Her expression didn't change, just mild curiosity.

"What..?" He looked back to her confused, could he really do that? Just name her? Like she belonged to him...? The thought was somewhat weirdly appealing. Naming her definitely meant she truly belonged to him...

"Anything is fine." the girl shrugged like it wasn't a big deal, "I'm not picky."

"Alright.." he paused for only a second, "Kagome." She didn't say anything but acknowledged that it was her name by nodding at him before taking another bite of her breakfast. Inuyasha felt something twinge inside him, when he was younger he had actually thought about that little black cat a lot more than he had ever let his mom know. He had even come up with a name for it in the dream that he would have been able to save it. The name was Kagome, he didn't know why, it just was. And now here she was, Kagome. He felt fulfilled in some way that had left him empty as a child.

"Kagome...?" He said again testing the name out. Kagome looked up at him from across the table and blinked slowly, he felt chills.

"Yes..?"

"Nothing."

"Okay." she always seemed to speak in short, quiet, curt answers but he didn't mind. He actually like the way she spoke, direct, just the basic needed answers and questions. It really was refreshing from the constant shrill natter of the women he had spent time with. She finished her meal and eyed his, he laughed and slid it across the table to her. She looked down at the food then back up at him, looking like she was afraid he was going to get angry with her.

"Eat." he pointed to the food and she responded obediently again picking up her fork and digging in. He liked this part about her as well. Nothing pleased him more than obedience. She finished and looked back up at him. He couldn't read her, her eyes where just two big pools of beautiful, milk chocolate brown and her face always seemed devoid of emotion. "What?" He finally spoke after a moment.

"Should I leave?" the question surprised Inuyasha but she seemed entirely serious.

"What do you mean...?" He looked at her like she was a strange undiscovered creature of the deep.

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me..?" The words she spoke would normally be said with fear or confusion but Kagome, she just stared at him with a blank face. It made him nervous, what was she thinking? It reminded him of how he used to have staring contests with his neighbour's dog, he used to wounder what the dog was thinking as well but it was impossible to know. Those dark eyes weren't filled with anything.

"Stay with me..." he trailed off in wonder.

"As?" her expression didn't change and Inuyasha felt like he was in one of his childhood staring contests.

"My...pet." It was such a weird thing to say, ask a human to be a pet? Was he insane? Maybe...he laughed to himself but stopped instantly when she gave her unexpected answer.

"Okay." He looked back up at her and felt his knees weakening again, there was that smile, what was about it? Like some kind of spell it made him feel complete. He leaned across the table and and reached his hand out patting her head.

"My Kagome..." he smiled for the first time in what felt like a century.

* * *

-Sorry it's a little short, just setting the stage. -Sabrulee.


	3. Forever Your Pet

_Haha actually as I was writing the second chapter the characters kind of reminded me of Sesshomaru and Rin...and this story is not unlike there's. But they are definitely going to be Inuyasha and Kagome. I'm just thinking of a world where Inuyasha has grown up alone (making him a lot older and introverted not unlike his older half brother, but he's still hot headed and carries Inu's traits) and Kagome is still a teenager but well..her circumstances have made her personality a little different, the Kagome we all know will show herself gradually as she warms up to Inuyasha, same vise versa. Thanks for the reviews they make me happy! -Sabrulee._

Chapter 3,  
Forever Your Pet

Inuyasha got up from the table and took both their plates to the sink, it was weird but he really was comfortable with Kagome, a girl he just met. Then again wasn't it normal to be comfortable with a new pet you just brought home? He chuckled at the thought and spoke. "So Kagome, do you remember anything else about your past life?" He glance over his shoulder at her trying to act nonchalant while he asked a question that had been eating away at him. What if he needed to return her? What if she didn't actually belong to him...but someone else? He didn't like the thought of letting her go and grimaced as he rinsed of the dishes and put them in the dish washer.

"Hmmm.." she seemed to be thinking it over like a hard math question, "Like what..?"

Her answer annoyed him, "Like what? Like...anything!" he turned around and slammed his hands down on the table making Kagome jump. He saw her scared expression and regretted how he had acted, what was it about this girl that made him show all his emotions so easily? "I'm sorry..."

"No, it's fine." She looked down obviously feeling bad as well, "I'm sorry I can't remember anything...I can only remember.." she trailed off and Inuyasha looked down at her intensely

"What?"

"..You." she was looking at him now and he just repeated himself stupidly,

"...What?"

"When you saved me, it was like I just started living at that moment..." Kagome's eye's betrayed her and showed something Inuyasha could understand now, need. "You're all I can remember."

"I see..." he walked across the room and around the table towards her, "Well that's all you need to remember for now, because I'm going to take care of you."

"Will you keep me...?" the girl looked up at Inuyasha and he stared back at her.

"I will."

"Forever?" Her beautiful brown eyes seemed to double in size.

"Yes." Inuyasha didn't even fully understand what he was saying, all he knew was this tiny teenage girl needed him, and he felt like he needed her. He knew deep down inside that he couldn't actually keep her forever but...his answer felt completely right as Kagome smiled at him from the chair and he couldn't stop himself, he leaned down and hugged her tightly. She was so small and helpless. Her entire existence depended on him and it made him feel like a had a purpose in life. "Okay! We need to get you something else to change into..." he tried not to laugh when he pulled back and looked down at her in his huge shirt. She shrugged and one of the elbows of the shirt slipped off revealing her shoulder, she pulled it up embarrassed and Inuyasha just chuckled. She was cute when she showed emotion. "Let me find you something else to wear today" He walked back to the bedroom and called out to her, "How old are you? And what size do you think you are?" he felt bad as the words left his mouth, if she didn't remember anything about her past before yesterday night...how the hell would she know her age?

"I'm sixteen." she called back quietly. And Inuyasha stopped rummaging through his drawers, what..? He paused before pulling out another dress shirt, it seemed all he had were dress shirts... He closed the drawer and walked back to the kitchen. He stared down at Kagome carefully as he handed her the clothes. She took them from him and Inuyasha started to ask her if she really couldn't remember anything how the heck she knew her age, but before he could she began unbuttoning her shirt and he was momentarily distracted.

"W-what are you doing?" He took a few step away from the girl getting undressed in his kitchen and looked away.

"What...?" she watched him curiously.

"Change in the bathroom Kagome..." He pointed to a door down a hall way and watched as she got up and headed that way. Man this was weird...she really was like an animal, didn't she understand that he was a man? He didn't think of her that way because she was his pet...but still..sometimes when she looked at him, or swayed her hips absentmindedly...Inuyasha's eyes became cloudy as he thought about the girl in his bathroom. 'Wait a minute!' his conscious practically yelled at him, 'Dude, she's your pet...that's just sick..' Inuyasha shook his head, man this was complicated Never mind, he smiled at her as she walked back out. He wondered in the back of his mind if he would have to go shopping for girl's clothes for her eventually but shrugged it off. She looked cute in just one of his oversized shirts.

He made a quick trip to his room and changed out of the clothes he had worn the day before and slept in. Inuyasha pulled on a pair of boxers and then his suit pants, he grabbed a white dress shirt and buttoned it up. He reappeared to see her still standing in the same spot in the kitchen he gave her a funny look an walked over to one of the big leather couches in his huge living room and sat down, Kagome just watched him from the kitchen. Inuyasha patted his lap, "Come, Kagome." She responded to her name and walked over sitting down beside him she laid her top half across his lap and curled up on him. She blushed and he smiled, he had never had such a cute pet. The older hanyou grabbed the remote and turned on his rather large TV to the movie channel, he couldn't really tell what was playing...but he didn't really care. He was completely content just sitting there with Kagome on his lap. He lifted up his hand and absentmindedly, gently pet her head. She snuggled into him and he almost thought she would start purring..almost. Inuyasha watched whatever was on the TV for the next two hours, glancing down occasionally he noticed her begin to fall asleep, aww how cute, he thought and yawned.

-beeeep- -beeep-

Inuyasha opened his eyes and stretched, what was going on...? Why was he sleeping in the living room..in the middle of the day? He tried to get up but felt resistance on his lap, he looked down. Oh yeah.. Kagome was sleeping on him contently. He chuckled quietly, they both must have fallen asleep. How weird, he hadn't taken a nap in the middle of the day since he was a child...it felt refreshing.

-beeep- -beeep-

Inuyasha tried to feel around for his cell phone without waking the sleeping girl on him. He found it in his back pocket and flipped it open. "Hello...?" he spoke quietly and ran his free hand through Kagome's long dark hair.

"Inuyasha..." an annoyed voice came seeping through his cell.

"Oh..Sango?" He rolled his eyes and smirked, woops.

"I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours! You don't show up for work and I don't even get a phone call? You missed so many appointments! I'm elbow deep in angry clients!" he snickered to himself, he really did put his assistant through a lot

"Sorry..something came up." Well...it sort of had right?

"It better have been something important!" she fumed and the phone made a weird swooping noise like Sango was shaking her cell phone back and forth.

"Are you choking your cell again Sango..?" Inuyasha questioned knowing the answer, she was the most amusing assistant in the world. Not only that she was good at her job. And unlike every other female assistant he had tried to hire over the years she didn't try to get into his pants every other day. Just because he was you're male boss didn't mean he wanted have sex with you...why were these girls so stupid? He liked Sango, she was spunky and completely in love with her boyfriend Miroku, despite what she might say.

"I'm pretending it's you.." she replied angrily.

"Oh, well alright, if that's all can I go now..?" he stared down at Kagome sleeping on his lap, he just wanted to stay there and cuddle with his new pet.

"Absolutely not! Get over here and do some damage control! I've re-booked all your morning appointments for this evening...and your evening appointments for tonight..and tonight's appointments for tomorrow and tomorrow's.." she trailed off sounding more and more annoyed. It was a good thing he was her boss or else she probably would have fired him a long time ago.

"Alright alright...I'll be there in a few minutes..." he sighed, despite what he wanted he had a job to do, responsibilities

"Good!" she hung up immediately after he agreed. Inuyasha sighed and lifted Kagome up in his arms bridal style, he headed for the bedroom. Just because he couldn't nap all day didn't mean she couldn't. He placed her down and pulled a silky sheet over her and patted her head before leaving the room quietly closing the door behind him. He stopped by the kitchen and made her something to eat later, nothing special just some snacks to keep her full till he got home and made her a meal. He placed the plate on the table where she would be able to see it and pulled on his suit jacket before opening the door and locking it behind him. He headed to the elevator and pressed the floor one button. As he waited he began to think about work again.


	4. Welcome Home

_I'm sorry if anyone is confused about the relationship between Kagome and Inuyasha. If the entire "pet" situation weirds you out you are free to stop reading at any time. I clearly wrote in the summary that Inu was taking Kagome in as his pet... If you think it's cute or are interested by the idea of a human being a pet please continue reading._

_SPOILER: (do not read if you don't want a spoiler!): - Spoils -(I don't plan on Kagome being Inuyasha's pet forever, eventually their relationship is going to evolve into something more.) _

_Thanks for reading! -Sabrulee_

Chapter 4,  
Welcome Home

Inuyasha got back into his car and started it up, he couldn't believe he had only been at work for twelve hours it felt like days. Sango had ringed him out and he had had so many meetings he thought his head might explode. So many people wanted a piece of him, offering their serveses, wanting to join their companies, he really just didn't want to deal with it. But it was the life he had chosen, he had always thought when he was younger that if he had this type of life he would be happy...why wasn't he happy? He lit up a smoke and drove for another twenty minutes before pulling up to his condo building. Stepping out he glanced at the gold watch on his wirst, 2:00am...nice. Inuyasha yawned and pulled a suitcase out of the car behinde him, he walked towards the entrance to his building and pressed his atomatic door locking button on his keys before entering.

"Welcome back Sir." a doorman greeting him and he nodded as he passed and hurried into the elevator. He waited impatiently as it climbed up to the top floor and stepped out before the doors were fully open. He walked down the hallway, his hair flowing out stedily behind him as he picked up speed. Soon he was at the end of the hall and his sweet. His room was the only room on the top floor so it was utterly quiet as he unlocked his door and opened it slowly. He sighed, the apartment was always such a horrible thing to come back to. Terribly quiet and lonley it was like torture, but he was used to being alone. Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin as he stepping into the appartment and a small figure came barreling towards him through the dark. He gasped as the black form tackled him.

"K-Kagome?" oh yeah..that was right. His appartment wasn't empty anymore...he wasn't alone.

"Where did you go?" he stumbled back a few steps, he couldn't see her face in the darkness but her voice sounded worried and he felt something wet on the front of his shirt.

"Kagome..." he lifted his left hand and placed it on her head, had she been lonley?

"Where did you go?" she repeated, her voice sounded so utterly hurt it made Inuyasha's chest feel tight.

"I had work...but I'm here now." He leanded down around her, tottally encompassing her little body with is own and held her in the dark.

"I was scared you wouldn't come back..." Inuyasha laughed sadly, did this girl have the brain of a dog? Thinking her master wouldn't return...

"Don't be silly, I'll always come back." he smiled and picked her up and started walking towards the kitchen, "Now let's get you something to eat." He flicked on the kitchen light and put her down on the counter.

"Okay!" she smiled up at him and Inuyasha grinned back. He deffinatly liked this, coming home to someone who had been waiting up all night... a hug when he entered the door. It was nice, she was deffinatly a good pet.

"So how'd you like your snack?" he asked as he grabbed the rice cooker out of a cuboard up high and the box of rice from another cupboard three shelves over. He had been so tired just downstairs but now he felt like he could stay up all night.

"It was good...thank you Inuyasha." her voice was cheery and this was the first time she had said his name, he felt his heart pitter a little as he turned around to look at her. She was still sitting on the counter, her long raven hair fell playfully around her shoulders and framed her face nicley. His shirt draped around her body and her legs stuck out neatley over the counter to expose just above her knee, her feet swayed back and forth whimsecly. She smiled at him. What a change she was from the stray he had found in that alley only a day ago... even though she wasn't wearing any makeup and her hair wasn't brushed she was really beutifull. He started to think maybe she was more like an pretty exotic bird than a little stray cat... He walked towards her and pulled her up into his arms. He would have to go to work more often if he got this kind of greeting when he came home, she was really affectionate all of a sudden. She must have really missed him... the thought of her waking up and searching the apartment for him with no sucess, her dissapointed and worried face pulled at his heart strings.

"I'm really glad I found you Kagome." he wispered nuzzling his face into her hair.

"Me too." she replied wrapping her arms around him. He held onto her a few more minutes before pulling out a chair and putting her down on it. He might have held her all night if he could but she was probably getting hungry. He turned the cooker on and added the water and rice, closing the lid and turning it on he leaned over and opened the fridge again.

"I'll pick you up some pudding and other snacks so you have something to eat when I'm not around." he offered as he stared into his fridge, most of what was in there needed to be cooked. He pulled out some peas, carrots, egg and chicken. Inuyasha got his trusty frying pan and fried the egg, he removed it and fried the veggies and meat. The ricer dinged and he dumbed the stemy rice into the pan, adding the egg to the rice and others he fried it all up. Adding soy sauce and a little salt he fried it for a few more minutes and scooped some into a bowl for him and one for Kagome. "Sorry it's not mutch.." he appologized, even if he didn't feel tired his body protested. He placed the food on the table in front of her and she grinned up at him

"I love when you cook for me." she replied without any hesitation and got a big spoon full, she chomped down and felt pure bliss. It showed on her face and made Inuyasha happy as he eat his food. How did he ever manage without her?

"Hey Kagome, are you going to sleep in my bed with me tonight?" he watched for her to be emberassed and refuse. She glanced up at him and nodded. His eyes widdened for a moment and then he relaxed, right...pet. They finished eating and Inuyasha changed into a pair of plad pajam bottoms. He pulled on a t-shirt, that's right, a t-shirt. He couldn't believe he found it hidden among the army of dress shirts that ruled his drawrs. Normally he would strip and crawl into bed but since Kagome was going to be there...well...things were diffirent that night. He flicked all the lights in the apartment off and crawled into bed. Kagome hesitaited at the door and Inuyasha patted the bed. "Come on, if you're going to be staying with me we're going to have to shair." she didn't seem fully convinced and he was alittle relieved.

"Hey come on, I'm cold..." he lied, "I need to cuddle with my pet." Kagome gave him a sly grin, she obviously knew he was lying but stepped forward anyways. She leaped into the bed suprising him and snuck under the covers. "D-dam Kagome! You're feet are freezing!" She giggled and pulled the cover up to her chin. She and Inuyasha lay a few feet apart, he was kind of relieved his bed was so big. It was dark and peacefull in the room and Inuyasha began to get lost in thought. He had said to himself before that he had like Kagome's short answers but he was kind of longing for her to talk to him more now. He just wanted to know more about her...but she was opening up. So maybe they could have actual conversations soon, and untill then he would just enjoy her knowing smiles and cute looks. He rolled over so he wasn't lying on his back anymore but facing Kagome. He wondered if she was sleeping, his ears twitched to the sound of her breathing, slow and deep. Deffinatly the breath of a deep slumber, he reached across and pulled her gently closer. Even if he wasn't actually cold he still wouldn't mind cuddeling. He placed his head above hers and and found a comfy position with her against his chest. She didn't resist and even wraped an arm around him, he smirked. He could deffinatly get used to this, and yawned. He felt like this would be one of the best sleeps and drifted off to the sound of her breathing.


	5. What Are We?

_Wow I umm.. thank you. I apologize. I didn't know you were all there, and when I got a few confused comments in a row I was disheartened and lost faith in my story. It wont happen again. -Sabrulee_

Chapter 5,  
What Are We?

Inuyasha yawned lifting up both his arms in a wide stretch, the sun shone brightly into his eyes through his half closed curtains waking him up fully. He glanced down at Kagome and almost jumped out of his bed. At some point in the middle of the night she had slipped out of the shirt she was wearing and now both her breasts were completely exposed. The sudden jolt on the mattress woke up Kagome, she rubbed her eyes and stared back at him puzzled. "What..?" she questioned obviously unaware of her nakedness.

"Your uh..." Inuyasha paused covering his eyes for her, "Your shirt..." he cleared his throat and Kagome looked down. He heard her squeal and the rustling of covers. The opened his eyes after a minute and laughed, her face was beet read and she was wrapped from shoulder to toe in all his covers and sheets. She looked just like a caterpillar, "Kind of late for that.." he grinned at her which just made her face more red.

"S-shut up!" she buried her face into her pillow and let out a muffled scream that Inuyasha could just barely hear.

"It's fine I didn't really see anything..." he tried to comfort her and headed for the door, he didn't have to work that day so he might as well get a head start on breakfast. And give her some time to collect herself.

"Lies..." Kagome grumbled into the pillow as he closed the door behind him.

'There we go!' Inuyasha thought happily, all it took was an incredibly embarrassing moment to get Kagome acting like what he assumed was her true self. He liked her like this...kind of feisty. Less...broken and empty like when he had found her. It made it seem like he was slowly fixing her up, and it made him feel fantastic. He wondered what he should make for breakfast when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Inuyasha pondered who the doorman would possibly let in to see him without beeping him first, he unlocked and opened the door anyways.

"Inuyashie..." a woman's voice came thick and seductive.

"Kikyo..." Inuyasha replied as she stepped into his apartment without him giving her any consent. "What are you doing here...?"

"It's your day off right?" She put a hand on his chest and let it slid down slowly towards his lower body, "I wanted to come over and play." She purred into his ear. Kikyo was wearing a red tube top and a pair of incredibly tight black jeans.

"Uhh...today's not a good day.." he tried to gather himself grabbing her hand and pushing it away.

"Hmmm?" she gave him a curious look, "You've never refused me before...what's so inconvenient about today, huh, Yashie?" her curious look turned a little sour, Inuyasha knew didn't like being rejected or told "no".

"Well..." He wondered what kind of excuse he could make up, he couldn't possibly tell Kikyo he was taking care of Kagome...could he? He considered it momentarily but then dismissed it, no. Just when he was coming up with a fake sickness in his mind his bedroom door creaked open and Kagome in nothing but another one of his shirts came waltzing out. She yawned and stretched before noticing what was going on at the door, she froze. Kikyo stared at Kagome in shock for a moment and then she smiled cruelly.

"Oh I see, so this is how it is, Inuyasha?" her grin was harsh, "Got bored with me so you decided to find your self a little whore?" she pushed past him and slithered up to Kagome before he could stop her. "You think you're all that don't you, you little slut?" She glared daggers at her until she noticed that Kagome was only wearing one of Inuyasha's shirts. It was like the final thread had been pulled in a tapestry of disaster as she clawed at the shirt ripping the collar and tearing off a few buttons. Inuyasha got to her in time to stop her from doing any damage to the very shocked Kagome.

"What the fuck are you doing? Get out Kikyo!" he pushed her towards the door and stood in front of Kagome protectively.

"Fine, I know when I'm not needed." she turned on her heals and swayed her hips in an exaggerated way all the way to the door, she turned around one more time before closing the door and hissed, "Have fun with your little toy, and call me when you want to play with a real woman." Kagome took a step away from Inuyasha and held her shirt together as the door slammed closed and Inuyasha made a mental note to tell the doorman to not let Kikyo back in.

"I'm sorry...about that.." he sighed and turned around to face her, he felt terribly guilty. The thing was he never got in to serious relationships because he didn't really care for human interaction but, he was still a guy after all and he felt needs. That was where Kikyo came into the picture, she didn't mind just having a casual thing and it worked for Inuyasha. All she wanted in return was a nice trinket or two every now and then. It was all a very shallow thing...and having Kagome witness to it made him feel dirty.

"It's...not a problem.." she looked away from him, "I'm just a pet after all, who cares if your girlfriend is mean to me..." she didn't look back at him, she just stood there shaking slightly and holding her shirt together. Inuyasha felt that pinching in his chest again, it was like her words had a direct line to him.

"Don't say that..." he took a step towards her, "Look at me." She obeyed but what he saw in her eyes crushed him, there was nothing. Just like the day he had found her, "Dammit.." his voice shook slightly. "Kagome we're not together, she's just someone I see...occasionally..!"

"Why?" her eyes didn't leave his.

"Because...because..." his mind was a fluster, how the heck could he explain to her in a reasonable way that he just fucked Kikyo every weekend? That it meant nothing and she meant nothing to him...that he was actually a pretty despicable guy. Kagome suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him down towards her, he was about to ask her what she thought she was doing when her lips met his. The kiss didn't last long but it felt incredibly good, Inuyasha regretted that it was him who ended it so quickly. He pushed her back roughly and stared seriously at her, "What was that?" he tried not to sound as breathless as he actually was.

"You have me...you don't need her..." she looked away from him, he could see the prettiest shade of red forming on her cheeks. He tried to clear the lust from his head, why did men always seem to think with their dicks?

"Kagome, no."

"Why not?" she looked at him again, her eyes were glaring now but deep down he could see they were hurt. He hadn't meant to hurt her. "What's wrong with me? Am I too young? I'll get older! Give me time..." her head dropped, she seemed defeated before he even spoke. Inuyasha had never thought she would go this far.

"Kagome...don't...This isn't what you want."

"How do you know what I want..?" She stomped her foot angrily and Inuyasha had to repress laughing, she was like an angry child not getting what she wanted. But this was more serious than that...if he had sex with Kagome what they had now would be ruined. She couldn't be his pet if he slept with her...and..honestly, he didn't know how to be in a normal relationship. He didn't even know if he wanted one to begin with. He just wanted her to stay his...

"Because we're happy! Like this! Just the way we are, why would we want to screw this all up?" he grabbed onto her shoulders and tried to make her understand, "You're just acting this way because you think you're going to lose me. But I'm not going anywhere." She stared up at him as tears formed in her eyes, he could see she knew he was right.

"I'm...sorry." Kagome looked down guiltily, she seemed sort of relieved that he had told her no and it made Inuyasha feel very mature.

"It's okay..." He patted her head like he always did and she smiled at him as a few final tears slid down her cheeks. They were so weird, but it didn't bother either of them, who cared if no one could put a label on their relationship? They were happy right? And that was something not even most people in normal relationships could say. "Kagome..." an idea popped into Inuyasha's head and he grinned down at her.

"Yes..?"

"Want to go for a walk?" She stared at him silently for a few minutes, her expression changed from confused, to amused, and then to an understanding happy.

"I'd love to." she swayed her hips back and forth slightly as if wagging an imaginary tail. "I don't have to wear a leash though right..?" She joked and Inuyasha chuckled gazing down at her admiringly, wouldn't that be a site?

"Maybe..." he shot her a smirk and walked over to a drawer pretending to look for a leash or something to use as one.

"Inuyasha!" She regretted even asking in the first place, "You can't seriously..." she trailed off as he pulled out a thin chain. Her eyes widened, "You can't..!"

"Why not? Pets go on leashes right..?" he grinned at her evilly, he had no actual intentions of really putting the leash on her, he just loved to watch her squirm. "Isn't it a law or something...?"

"Nooo! That would be so embarrassing..!" she covered her face blushing, he laughed, he loved how gullible she was, how innocent. Everything that happened only moments before seemed to be forgotten.

"Okay I wont put a leash on you but then...how can I be sure you wont run away? Or get lost?" he put the chain back in the drawer and walked back over to Kagome expectantly.

"I'll...hold..your hand..." her face went up three shades of red and Inuyasha had to resist the urge to tackle her, she was so incredibly innocent and cute!

"You won't let go? Not even for a minute?" he prodded her, loving every minute of her humiliation.

"I wont.." she glared up at Inuyasha embarrassed of what he was making her say.

"Alright it's a deal, hold on a minute." Inuyasha patted her head as he walked past her and in to the kitchen, they hadn't had breakfast yet but he was planning to take her out to get something to eat on their walk. He pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, it only took him a moment to scan through his contacts and hit a number. It rung for a few seconds and a familiar female voice answered, "Sango?"

"Inuyasha...why are you calling me on your day off? Usually you avoid me like the plague..." she sounded suspicious.

"I need you to do me a favour..."

"Sure." Sango replied before he could even tell her what the favour was.

"Really..?" He paused, "What's the catch?" He herd her evil laughter and shuddered,

"You have to meet with your brother tomorrow."

"Half brother! And just barely that...why the fuck would I ever..?" He tried to lower his voice as Kagome stared at him curiously. "What are you thinking Sango..?"

"I'm thinking maybe you need to resolve some family issues..." Inuyasha knew she was lying, his half brother Sesshomaru owned land that his company wanted. And Inuyasha owned two buildings that Sesshomaru's company wanted. Now it all seemed really simple right? Just a quick trade and everyone's happy, but it never worked out like that. Neither guy wanted their company making a deal with the other without them being present due to lack of trust, they always thought the other would try and rip them off. But every time they were in the same room together they ended up in a brawl and the deals went no where. They really did hate one another, and if Sango wanted them to meet up it was purely to discuss business. Sesshomaru was the older brother, his mother had been with Inuyasha's father first. Inuyasha didn't know the details but the circumstances fell along the lines of his father falling in love with his mistress, who was Inuyasha's mother. Sesshomaru had never wanted anything to do with Inuyasha and from that childhood hate a nasty beast of loathing had grown strong between them. If their companies didn't happen to cross paths everyone once and a while they would both be perfectly happy never ever seeing each other again. Dam Sango for having the best interests for his company at heart.

"Fine..." Inuyasha agreed wondering if he would even show up.

"You better be there..." she growled at him, dam...she knew him too well.

"..I will."

"Okay then what do you need me to do?" Sango spoke cheerfully now and it pissed him off.

"I need you to get some petite sixteen year old girl's clothes for me." Inuyasha listened for Sango's reply, but he couldn't even hear her breathing, was she in shock or something..?

"Pardon my intrusion, but why do you need a teenage girls clothes?" Sango sounded like she was either going to call him a shrink for him or start laughing hysterically. "You have some thing you need to tell me..?"

"There not for me, Sango!" Jeez, he felt his cheeks burning.

"Then who? Oh my god...don't tell me your robbing the cradle now? Or have you been hiding a love child from me for all these years?" Sango sounded like she was going to keel over laughing, she was such a gossiper. He knew by tomorrow the water cooler would be surrounded by his female employees chatting excitedly about his secret "love child".

"Just shut up and bring the clothes." He was really going to have to think up an excuse for Kagome...

"Yes sir." she giggled and they hung up. Inuyasha rubbed his head in annoyance, he needed to have to give her a pay cut or something...she was way too rowdy. And he was not robbing the cradle! It was actually pretty common for men a lot older than him to date or take younger girls than Kagome as brides in Japan. Speaking of which...he glanced over at where she had been standing before and noticed Kagome was gone.

"Kagome..?" he walked around the huge apartment wondering where she could have gotten off to.

"Yes...?" a call from the bathroom caught his attention, he walked down the hallway and knocked before stepping in. Kagome was standing at the mirror brushing her hair, she noticed him enter and glanced up. "Hmm?" she smiled as she lifted up the brush and ran it slowly through her long hair again. He didn't answer her but walked over to her and held out his hand,

"May I?" she didn't hesitate and handed him the brush. He ran it through her hair slowly and repeated the action over and over again. She stood still in front of the mirror and he could see in the reflection that her eyes were closed, but she was smiling peacefully.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed the extra 1000 or so words. -Sabu._


	6. Getting Ready

Chapter 6,  
Getting Ready

Inuyasha didn't want to answer the door when Sango finally came a knocking, he was way to content just brushing Kagome's hair. Unfortunately Sango wasn't the patient type and the hanyou immediately regretted giving her that spare key, just in case he needed her to do some personal errands when he wasn't around. "Inuyasha?" his ears twitched annoyingly as she called out and the door creaked open.

"Uh..just a minute!" He looked down at Kagome who opened her eyes in a bit of a daze. "Stay." She nodded silently and he left the bathroom leaving the door open a bit.

"Ah there you are, why didn't you open the door?" Sango brushed off her fur trimmed winter jacket and stared at him suspiciously. Underneath the large green jacket was a mostly hidden black pencil skirt and equally black professional pair of high heals. He laughed to himself that she was so afraid of the cold that she practically wore a parka but wouldn't give up the heals for a pair of traditional boots. He also wondered how she walked on the ice that plagued the streets in the winter.

"Uh..I was in the bathroom for a reason.." Inuyasha bluffed holding out his hand, "So did you get what I asked for?"

"Yup, I stopped by this adorable hip little shop I never really had any reason to go into, but had been wanting to check out and picked up this." She smiled proudly pulling out a flowing little pink tank top with a loose little bow tied in the the back, she also pulled out a darker pink skirt. "I wasn't really sure what you were looking for so I just picked the cutest outfit on display." She left out the fact that it had also been the most expensive, not that it would have bothered Inuyasha and it was fun to spend so much when she was using his company's credit card. "I also picked up these leggings since it's quite chilly out there and this jacket and boots set." she nodded looking proud and pulled out the warm leggings, a pink winter jacket with a fur trim on the hood not unlike her own, and a pair of matching pink boots. She placed the leggings on the pile and put the boots and jacket by the door.

"Thanks." Inuyasha nodded in approval as she handed him the clothes. He loved seeing Kagome in just his over-sized shirts but he couldn't wait to see her in this. She would be far too cute for her own good.

"I also picked up these...because honestly you were a little vague.." She handed him a little pink bag as professionally as she could.

"What's in here..?" Inuyasha glanced at her weirdly beginning to open the bag but Sango grabbed his hand stopping him.

"Unless the clothes are for you, I suggest you just give the bag to the intended person." Sango looked into his eyes trying to convey a message to the clueless hanyou.

"Uh...right." he didn't really understand, females were so weird, but closed the bag and placed it on top of the clothes folded in his arms.

"Alright so..." Sango glanced around his apartment trying to seem nonchalant but obviously looking for someone. "I guess, I'll just be...leaving.."

"Good idea." Inuyasha frowned at his assistant and turned her around, pushing her towards the door.

"Just a hint?" she tried to resist him.

"Fine." Inuyasha sighed rolling his eyes and Sango turned on him excitedly.

"Let me guess...Vegas wife? New girlfriend? Love child? Slave?" It seemed like Sango had been thinking about this far too much.

"Pet." he replied simply, his voice tainted by the smirk on his lips. Sango hadn't noticed that her boss had still been pushing her and that she was now standing in the hallway. Before she could ask him what he meant by pet, did he get a cat or something? Was he one of those odd people who dressed up their pets..? He closed the door.

"Oh come on!" he herd her press her body against the door in a dramatic fashion, thank god he didn't have neighbours.

"Go home Sango, I'll see you tomorrow."

"You know I'll find out sooner or later, you can't keep secrets from your assistant!" She called back laughing evilly before he herd her heals click off down the hall. Man she just had way too much energy for a woman her age...how did Miroku deal with it? Oh second thought he didn't want to know... He turned around to tell Kagome she could come out now but she was already peaking around the corner. He motioned with his hand for her to come out and she obeyed walking up to him expectantly.

"Here." Inuyasha handed her the clothes and she just stared at him curiously.

"Who was that?"

"Just my assistant." he replied, it appeared Kagome was just as curious about Sango as she was about her. Although her rapid interest was probably normal considering she most likely hadn't interacted with anybody but him for a long time. "Go get changed and we'll go."

"Okay." she answered obediently and took the clothes to the bathroom, along with the little pink bag. Inuyasha walked to his bedroom and opened the door stepping inside he closed it behind him, he walked over to his dark wooden dresser and pulled out a casual black dress shirt and pair of dress pants. He pulled off the wrinkled clothes he was wearing and put on the clean ones, Inuyasha had a muscular build and overall desirable tight body, he yawned, the muscles in his arms tightened as he stretched. It was a lot of work taking care of a pet, he thought as he rubbed his shoulders and stepped out of his bedroom and noticed Kagome was standing in the kitchen holding a glass.

"Hey.." he practically whispered as he stared at her, the outfit had gone from a meaningless pink pile of fabric into the cutest thing he had ever laid eyes on, simply by draping it over the girl in his kitchen. She jumped, surprised by his voice and dropped the glass, it smashed on the floor and Kagome leaned over to pick it up. He began to hurry over to help her but stopped when he saw it, immediately realizing what was in the secret little pink bag. Kagome was leaning over and the pink skirt she was wearing was very short, a frilly pink pair of panties peeked out from underneath. Inuyasha's face went a deep red, he tried to look away but they shone out like a beacon in the night. What was he feeling all of a sudden for his pet? Dam Sango...why did she have to get such seductive clothing! But man...

"Ouch..!" Kagome flinched lifting her finger up as a drop of blood sprung forth from the delicate pink skin of her index finger. He snapped out of his clouded state and hurried over grabbing her hand.  
"Are you okay?" he sounded urgent and worried.

"I'll survive." she laughed a little bit and Inuyasha's ears shot up, the sound of her quiet bubbling giggle was like the gently tinkling of a wind chime. It was pure bliss to his hanyou ears and nothing like the cackle Kikyo would let loose every once in a while at something Inuyasha couldn't understand at all. He lifted her finger to his lips uncontrollably and licked the blood off. Maybe it was instincts, maybe it was just the overpowering urge he felt to take care of her but he just couldn't help himself. She gasped quietly and didn't pull away but stopped and just gazed up at him, as soon as their eyes met he let go of her hand, blushed, and looked away.

"There are band-aids in the bathroom, I'll get the dust pan..." he got up and walked away from her towards the kitchen closet. He herd her get up and walk to the bathroom and was relieved he wasn't in the same room with her anymore. What was wrong with him? Kagome was his pet, meant for...petting, and feeding..and general care taking. One does not lick their pet! He slapped himself in the forehead and let his head fall and hit the wall not so gently.

"You okay..?" Kagome's voice came again and made him jump, how embarrassing.

"Yeah, I'm great." he laughed and walked over to her, trying to get over the resent awkward event Inuyasha stated the obvious. "You look really...good."

"Thanks.." she blushed shyly and looked down, Inuyasha smiled, he like it more when he was in control of her actions. And not vise versa, also her bashful reactions were always pleasing. He swept up the glass and grabbed Kagome's jacket.

"Here." he smiled at her and helped her into it before putting on his own jacket and black winter boots. She stepped into hers and Inuyasha leaned down and tied them up. He could hear her giggle again and suddenly he felt incredibly silly. What was she a child? Jeez...he needed to back off a little. Kagome noticed his embarrassed face and smiled.

"I don't mind." she patted his head and Inuyasha stood up suddenly feeling like the pet.

"Uh...let's go." He unlocked the door and they stepped out, he locked it behind them and stepped forward beginning to walk down the hall but something slipped into his hand surprising him.

"Remember?" he turned around to see Kagome blushing looking at the wall of the hallway, oh yeah... he chuckled and tightened his grip on her hand gently. They walked out of the building together and into the blinding white of the cold, blanketed outside world.


	7. I'm Sorry

Chapter 7,  
I'm Sorry

Inuyasha loved the feel of Kagome's small hand in his own, he made a mental note to get her a pair of gloves to keep those little hands warm but then erased the note from his mind. On second thought he liked being the one to keep them warm. Just as she had promised she hadn't let go of his hand once since they left the building, nor did she try to make a break for it like his wild imagination claimed she would. He was constantly keeping an eye on her, and occasionally she would glance up and smile at him. Even though it was cold and a few snowflakes fell occasionally from the bright grey sky above them Inuyasha felt unexplainably warm, content. A few people on the street would occasionally stop and stair at them and Inuyasha was sure for once in his life they weren't gawking at him. Kagome radiated an unexplainable warmth, and it shone through the unpleasant winter atmosphere making it seem like it was a sunny summer day. "Thanks." Inuyasha suddenly spoke smiling gently down at the girl clad in adorable soft pink walking beside him.

"For..?" Kagome blinked up at him puzzled.

"Just being the way you are." he replied mysteriously and looked forward again guiding Kagome around a couple that had suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to stare in their general direction.

"Well that's..." Kagome trailed off looking confused, "Thank you, I think..." he laughed and patted her head. She responded with a confused smile and put her right hand, the one not being kept warm by Inuyasha, in to her coat pocket.

"Cold..?" Inuyasha gazed down at her with that mother-hen expression again.

"Not really..." Kagome replied quietly looking forward nonchalantly but Inuyasha pulled her off the street suddenly and to the left and into a building. "What the...?" She looked around a little confused.

"If you're cold just say you're cold." Inuyasha messed up her hair as she looked around and noticed they were in an expensive looking café. Kagome felt embarrassed, he could see right through her.

"Okay..." she answered as a pretty lady in an apron appeared in front of them and guided them to a more private table, Inuyasha helped her out of her coat and pulled out Kagome's chair for her which earned her a glare from the waitress and made her nervous. She sat down and Inuyasha walked around the table sitting down as well.

"What would you like?" Inuyasha asked her, remembering the cup she had been holding in the apartment, she must have been thirsty and they hadn't eaten yet after all.

"I'm fine." Kagome replied politely but Inuyasha saw her stubbornness.

"Just pick something, anything."

"I'm fine." She repeated and Inuyasha became annoyed.

"Fine." he motioned for the waitress that he was ready to order and Kagome was surprised he gave in so easily. "One of everything please." Kagome almost fell out of her chair, and Inuyasha laughed to himself, so she wanted to play that game eh? He could play that game.

"Is that all..?" The waitress didn't even bat an eye at Inuyasha's request, rather she looked at Kagome with what must have been envy.

"No!" Kagome stared at both of them flabbergasted, who spent money like this?

"Then what can I get for you?" She seemed a tad bit annoyed now. Kagome looked to Inuyasha distressed and he just sat there smirking.

"Pick." suddenly he wasn't requesting anymore, he was ordering. She knew the tone. And Inuyasha couldn't help but feel excited as Kagome looked down at the menu defeated. It was so thrilling, having someone listen to you, obey you, simply by telling them to do something.

"Strawberry shortcake...and a strawberry tea." she replied quietly, the waitress looked at Inuyasha who simply replied "coffee, black" and was off.

"Now that wasn't all that hard was it?" he smirked and Kagome stuck out her tongue at him which just made him chuckle. Her childishness was so renewing. "So strawberries eh?"

"I...like strawberries." She blushed and tried to focus on something other than the incredible man across the table from her. Inuyasha smiled to himself, he wasn't a big fan of sweet things but he did like the way Kagome almost had a strawberry like scent of her own. Sweet and tasty...

-clink- the sound of the waitress placing the plate and cups on the table drew Inuyasha from his thoughts. Kagome looked down at her plate and her expression almost made Inuyasha burst out laughing. The look of absolute amazement and delight was too much. All that over a little strawberry shortcake? Not diamonds, not expensive perfume, just...cake. He really did love Kagome... wait.. love? Inuyasha felt something retch at his heart, right, the love an owner has for their pet. That was all...right..

"-yasha..?"

"Hmm..?" Inuyasha came back to the sound of Kagome calling him.

"Inuyasha?" he looked up to see a concerned expression on her face.

"Ah, nothing, eat." he forced a smile and she seemed to accept it taking her fork to the cake and biting a piece with a great big blob of whip cream on it.

"Mmmm!" She hummed in pleasure munching on the cake.

"That good, huh?" he smiled at her, yeah, an owner and their pet..

"Want a bite?" Kagome smiled and lifted up her fork to him, Inuyasha jolted back surprised. "Hmmm?" Kagome persisted.

"I'm not really a sweets fan..." was what he wanted to say, instead he opened his mouth and let Kagome shovel the crumbly sugar glob in. He swallowed and licked his lips slowly, which made Kagome blush and him chuckle, despite the terrible sweet taste in the back of his throat it was worth it. He sipped his bitter coffee, trying to wash it away. She sipped her tea in delight, shovelling teaspoons of sugar in and stirring. He shivered, how she didn't fall into a sugar coma was beyond him. She finished and sighed in content. "Done?"

"Yup." she licked her lips and put her jacket back on, "Where next?"

"Wherever you want." he replied simply, she didn't know but he would literally take her anywhere she wanted to go.

"Can we go to the park?" She glanced up at him wearily, like she thought he would say no.

"Sure." he pulled out a bill from his wallet without even looking to see what it was and placed it on the table before pulling her chair out and holding his hand out to her. She smiled nervously up at him and placed her hand in his, and before she knew it they were off on their way to the park. She could tell Inuyasha was walking slowly for her to keep up and it made her embarrassed, but happy.

"Of coarse, the park." Inuyasha thought to himself smiling, where else would a pet want to go? Genius. They walked together slowly and Inuyasha began to get annoyed with the people staring at them, why couldn't people get a life? All it took was for him to appear on one or two magazines and then everyone in Tokyo gawked at him like he was some kind of space alien. Normally he would just ignore them but with Kagome here... he didn't want all these people looking at her, it just bothered him. Sadly they never actually made it to the park, they were almost there though, until a large group of reporters descended upon them.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" they came stampeding out of nowhere and almost knocked Kagome over, if not for his strong arm behind her.

"Who are you with?" a tall woman called out.

"Is this your girlfriend?" a man with a bad haircut asked next.

"Any plans of marriage?" this voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Does she work in your company?" a short man with bad body odour piped up.

"Are you having a secret love affair?" a woman with frizzy orange hair asked next.

Inuyasha answered, "No comment" to all and tried to pull Kagome away from the ravaging vultures, how did they find him? Why had he thought this was a good idea? He had exposed Kagome to all this and now... there was no telling what would happen next. He was like a celebrity of the financial world and a girl appearing with him, well that was just big juicy news. He regretted it all, it wasn't fair to her. He couldn't even look down at Kagome who was tremblingly, he just scooped her up in his arms and pushed his way through the crowed. It didn't matter what they wrote, he would protect his Kagome no matter what.

-click- he closed the apartment door behind him and locked it, Inuyasha walked over to the couch and more or less fell down still holding Kagome. They had had to practically run from downtown Tokyo to his apartment, he wondered vaguely if it had been the women in the café that had tipped those reporters off... They had even trailed him to the front door and caused problems for the door man who had trouble locking it. He had apologized and hurried to his room, he didn't feel like he could face Kagome... who would want to be part of such a life? "I'm sorry..." Inuyasha whispered throwing his head back and looking at the high ceiling.

"What are you sorry about..?" Kagome's voice came gentle, but she still sounded a little rattled.

"What am I sorry about?" Inuyasha repeated her baffled, his voice rising a bit. "Where you not just with me the last half an hour?"

"I mean..." Kagome paused trying to get her thoughts put in to words, "You don't have anything to be sorry about." Inuyasha just looked down at her on his lap and laughed a little hysterically.

"Look at you!" he motioned to her now ruined outfit, the pretty pink was stained with dirty snow splotches and she was incredibly wet. The entire scuffle at pretty much destroyed her clothes, and her hair was damp and messy, not to mention the smudge of dirt of her cheek and don't even get him started on the scrapped knee.

"This?" Kagome looked down, "This is nothing." she was obviously thinking about when Inuyasha had first found her, what was damp clothes compared to then?

"Don't." Inuyasha looked away from her.

"Don't what?"

"Don't be so understanding..." he picked her up and placed her on the couch beside him turning his body away so he didn't have to face her. She made him feel so immature! She didn't even care about all this... like it was trivial.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome whispered quietly.

"What...?" He replied roughly, still angry.

"I need a bath." This totally through Inuyasha for a loop, oh yeah, she would probably want to go take a bath. But why was she telling him? She didn't ask his permission to go to the bathroom so she certainly didn't need to ask for this.

"What?" he turned and stared at her confused.

"I'm cold and wet and I need a bath." She elaborated but it didn't help him understand at all. She looked at him seriously, "I'm your pet, it's your responsibility to keep me clean." Inuyasha thought his face was going to overheat and explode, she wanted him to give her a bath? Was she just trying to distract him? Like when your upset about something and your cat come up and rubs against you as if to say "everything's going to be alright"? Because this was entirely different. He was about to decline when she looked up at him with great big puppy dog eyes, "Please?". Before he knew it he was standing outside the bathroom door as Kagome got undressed. "Ready...!" She hesitantly called out, she was really going through with this wasn't she? He opened the door, his eyes still closed and walked into the bathroom, he peeked a little bit and Kagome was standing in the corner with only a fluffy white towel rapped around her. She blushed and he looked away immediately trying to be a gentleman and just overall embarrassed he walked slowly to the tub expecting her to throw something at him and tell him to get out at any minute. Inuyasha rolled up his sleeves and he turned on the water making sure it was a nice warm temperature. He grabbed a bottle of pink bubble bath he had received as a gag gift from Sango one year and poured some in. It filled up quickly and the bubbles made more of a veil for Kagome. He looked away again, this was way too weird...should he just leave? Yeah he should just leave...he was about to get up and go when his dog ears twitched to the sound of Kagome slipping out of the towel. And a moment later there was a splash and Kagome was in the tub. She seemed glad for the bubbles that were thick and concealing. Her knees and shoulder up where the only things visible. He relaxed as Kagome dunked her head then came back up she handed him the shampoo which made him nervous all over again.

"Are you sure about this..?" he finally spoke and his voice came out horse and betraying of his actual nervousness.

"Mmhmm." She hummed, the only thing betraying her embarrassment was the pretty shade of pink forming on her cheeks and across her nose. He walked over to the back of the tub, behind Kagome and sat down. Inuyasha flicked open the bottle and poured the shampoo in to his hands, the fragrance was more of a male type scent because he had never really lived with a female. He made a mental note to pick up some strawberry scented necessities and lathered up his hands. Kagome shivered a bit as he plunged his hands into her long dark hair. He worked the shampoo in slowly and sighed, dam her. He was totally relaxed, he wasn't stressed about the reporters, or her clothes, nothing mattered anymore. He piled her hair on top of her head and worked in the shampoo more, bubbles formed and slid down her neck. She remained quiet, but seemed to be enjoying herself, and gave little pleasant sighs every once and a while. And Inuyasha just washed her hair peacefully, for what felt like hours.


	8. Let's Play

Chapter 8,  
Let's Play

Inuyasha dipped the tip of his finger in the semi-warm water and traced little circles, he watched absentmindedly as the bubbles swirled along with the mini water tornado he had created. They were still in the bathroom, he wasn't sure what time it was nor did he really care. She splashed the water a little with her hands and a bit spilled over the edge of the bath tub and onto Inuyasha. "Hey..." Inuyasha glanced up at her mockingly angry. "Settle down there." She looked embarrassed but giggled, Inuyasha smiled and rested his head on the edge of the tub. Thinking back on his life before he attained Kagome...well it all just seemed really bleak and meaningless. He wondered if it was unhealthy for someone to obsess over another person this much...not that he was obsessed. He just cared deeply for Kagome, and never wanted to let her out of his site...and couldn't imagine his life without her. Okay maybe he was a little obsessed, but in an okay way..? He contemplated if there was even such a thing when Kagome let out a quite sneeze. He looked over to see her submerge herself deeper into the not so warm water. Oh yeah... "Hey let's get you out of there before you catch a cold." He began to stand up but Kagome grabbed the rim of his sleeve stopping him.

"We can just add more hot water," She looked up at him worryingly, "I'm fine really." He stared back down at her, feeling a small pang deep inside himself. He tried to concentrate on her face, and not her ever more visible body, as the bubbles became more of a foam over time.

"I'm fine now Kagome, honestly." he answered as convincingly as he could muster, in all truth he rather just stay in that bathroom with her all night as the soapy veil concealing her petite body disappeared more and more, but life doesn't always go the way you want it. That, he could accept. It was the fact that it was his him changing the coarse that killed him.

"You sure?" she asked but he could see Kagome was already repositioning herself to get out, she must have really been cold. It made him feel guilty, her sitting in that cool tub all this time just to make him feel better... He walked over to the bathroom wall and pulled a very large, very fluffy white towel from the rack. He walked back over to the tub, looked the other way, and held it out for her. Inuyasha listened intently to the sound of splashing water and tried not to picture Kagome getting out of the big tub, dripping wet. Inuyasha herd something that sounded like Kagome foot slipping on the wet tiles. He instinctively turned around and opened his arms as Kagome's body came crashing in to his. Surprisingly for her size she hit him hard enough to knock him over.

"Oww..." Kagome's gentle voice seemed strangely muted as he rubbed the back of his now throbbing head and opened his eyes. Inuyasha's eyes shot open as he stared down Kagome's bare back, her head berried in his chest she was mumbling something about being sorry, he froze as she looked up and their eyes met. "You okay?" She looked worried, he couldn't imagine what his own face showed as he gaped at her, lying between his legs, he shuddered as the water covering her naked body soaked slowly into his clothes.

"Y-yeah." he choked out, it was like he was re-living puberty as his voice wavered and cracked. Kagome pushed off his chest trying to get up, she repositioned her knees trying to get steady. Inuyasha shivered as Kagome's leg brushed against the inside of his thigh, "H-hey" he coughed and grabbed her wrists, "Don't move like that." Kagome looked back up at him,

"Huh?" she hadn't been paying attention, all thoughts on trying not to slip again as she tried to erect herself.

"Just don't move so much when you're trying to get up." He replied looking annoyed.

"Oh so how do you supposed I'm supposed to get up without moving?" her voice took on a bit of an attitude and Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at her. Time to remind her who was boss.

"Easy." and with that he had scooped her up in his arms and they were standing again, or at least Inuyasha was, Kagome was curled up in his arms without a bit of cloth to her name. She suddenly felt very modest, his strong arms clutching her bare skin.

"Inuyasha..." she started to wiggle uncomfortably, "Let me down!" Inuyasha almost dropped her as she began moving more wildly in his arms.

"Cut it out Kagome! I'm going to drop you!" He growled, if she would just settle down for a minute he could put her down.

"Down! I want down!" She squealed and twisted in his arms.

"Hey hey! Stop it!" Inuyasha called out taking a step back to steady them his bare foot landed on a puddle of water and slipped out from under them. "Ahhhh!" they both called out and hit the floor with a loud thud. "Seriously...again?" Inuyasha growled, wait a minute, something was different this time. Inuyasha felt something soft pressed up against his body, underneath him.

"Inuyasha...you're on top of me." Kagome spoke quietly, her hands pinned against his chest between them. He had caught her head with his left hand as they had fallen but now his right one was pressed up against something soft and cushy. His face flushed a terrible red as he realized what it was, oddly enough he didn't move himself off her.

"Yeah..." he responded, his throat felt incredibly dry. As crude as it sounds, it just felt way to good. His body pressed up against hers, it was like she was molded to fit against him. Kagome didn't say anything, she just looked up at him, those two great pools of chocolate brown seeming to sparkle underneath the bright lights and reflecting white walls of his bathroom. Inuyasha's face lowered to hers and he paused to gauge her reaction, she didn't try to pull away, but was that only because she was pinned underneath him? He came face to face with her, her irresistible lips only an inch or two from his. He wondered how they tasted...probably like strawberries. He never craved that sweet taste more in his life. His tongue crept out from his mouth and slid across her lower lip seductively, he knew it. He loved how she tasted, dammit. Inuyasha's eyes shot up from her lips back to her eyes and his ears shot up in concern. "Kagome!" he got off her and held her face in his hands, "Please...don't cry." He felt so bad, it was like his insides were being twisted with a knife. "I'm sorry, I wont do that again, I'm sorry!"

"No..." Kagome smiled softly up at him, "I'm crying because I'm happy."

"..What?" Inuyasha looked down at her confused, he had just forced himself on her, how could she be happy? She should hate him.

"Inuyasha...I love you." She blushed as her eyes slanted away from him shyly and she wiped away the tears embarrassed.

"..What?" he repeated dumbly.

"I..I know this is really soon to say something like that, and I'm sorry if it's a burden on you..." she spoke again quietly, "I just..." she trailed off, seemingly unable to come up with the right words. But Inuyasha didn't need them, he understood far too well. Although he had only had her in his life for a total of two days now, it didn't matter. She was something he had been missing his entire life, and he wasn't going to let her slip away. To other people it might seem like Kagome was the one who relied on him, but really, he needed her way more than she could ever need him.

"I understand." Inuyasha turned her to face to him again, she looked up at him, naked and vulnerable. He spotted the towel from earlier and pulled it over, he draped it around her shoulders and wrapped it around her gently. "I need you too, Kagome." He looked away from her, equally embarrassed.

"Wait." Kagome called out as Inuyasha began to get up, he turned around to ask her what was wrong but was instantly silenced as her lips met his. Inuyasha's arms lifted up from his sides, he was about to pull her into a more intimate kiss but Kagome seemed to slip through them like a ghost. Before he knew it she was headed back to his room to change and he was standing in the bathroom feeling a number of confusing emotions. His wet clothes clung to the front of his body leaving only the slightest confirmation that all this had really happened.

"Kagome?" he called out longingly.

"Yeah?" she responded from the room next over.

"Can I have another?" He listened intently as he herd his bedroom door creak open and the girl step back into the bathroom, hopeful he turned around.

"Who's the pet now?" she stood in the doorway in just another one of his white dress shirts and winked at him playfully, the slightest hint of a smirk on her tasty lips.

"Hey, obey your master." He smirked back at her and rubbed his hand playfully through her long black hair, leaving it a mess on the top of her head. She smiled and leaned forward on her tippy toes, planting another kiss on him. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him. She pulled away for air and whispered into his ear.

"You're getting me all wet." Inuyasha's face shot a deep red as he pulled back and stared down at her.

"Wha-?" he murmured like a fool.

"See? The shirt I just changed in to, it's soaked again." She motioned down at the dress shirt that had become very wet from being in such close contact to the hanyou boy in front of her.

"Oh..." he replied blinking a few times and looking a bit disappointed.

"...What did you think I meant?" She looked at him with semi-amused expression and tilted head.

"Feh, shut up." he grumbled embarrassed and walked out of the bathroom ahead of her.  
Kagome giggled and fallowed him out.


	9. Game Over

Chapter 9,  
Game Over

Kagome had apologized for teasing him, and after they had changed, he had held onto her throughout the entire night. She had snuggled into him and their breathing synchronized as if they were just a single organism, oblivious to the rest of the world. That was their first mistake.

It was like Sango had a a sixth sense or something, she showed up bright and early at his door step the next morning, banging her fist against it until Inuyasha was resentfully roused from his deep slumber. She really wasn't going to let him out of the deal was she? She must have known he was planning on ducking out, obviously. He stretched taking his time, if she wasn't just barging in and dragging him out of bed in his boxers she must have forgotten her key. He felt around the empty bed beside him, wait, he let his brain register this, empty? Suddenly he was wide awake as his ears honed onto the sound of light footsteps heading to the door...Kagome's footsteps. He couldn't move in time, it didn't matter how fast he shot out of bed and burst through his bedroom door, Kagome was already opening his front one, and Sango was already pushing herself in.

"Wakey wakey Inuyasha, I'm here to ge-" her voice dropped off as she stared down at the little person who had opened the door for her, Sango towered above her, a naturally tall woman herself not to mention the good 3-4 inches her heels gave her. Inuyasha sprinted forward and pushed Kagome behind him. There was a long moment of silence as Sango and Inuyasha stared at each other. "What's all this then..?" Sango finally spoke, sounding calm, yet accusing.

"THIS, is none of your business." Inuyasha growled holding Kagome behind him.

"This," she motioned to the girl behind him, "Seems illegal." Her voice was not accusing anymore, but sounded oddly dangerous and absolute. Sango always had what was best for the company and Inuyasha in mind. He was still young, and she had taken it upon herself a long time ago to steer him clear of anything that might be harmful to him or his business. And a teenage god-knows-what could only do harm, maybe too much harm to repair if it ever got out. She had to snuff this situation out before it started a wild fire in the press.

"I'm not doing anything illegal!" Inuyasha burst out before checking himself and regaining his composure, "She's just living here, I'm taking care of her."

"And where did "she" come from?"

"That doesn't matter." he waved her question off and changed the subject, "Sango," he began in a serious tone getting her attention, "The press has already seen her with me, seen her looking even younger than she is in all that pink and frills." Sango looked confused for a moment before an understanding, and slightly regrettable look crossed her face.

"This has to end. I'll leek some story about a long lost relative leaving her in your care, and then before anyone can ask anymore questions she'll disappear and this whole thing will wash over."

"No!" Kagome's voice came scared but strong. Sango stared exasperatingly around Inuyasha at her.

"Sweetie, what were you thinking? This life might seem dazzling at first, but it's all ugly politics underneath. Run back home to your family."

"She can't." Inuyasha spoke now. "She has no one, I found her abandoned, half starved to death in an alley two days ago." Sango seemed to register this with what must have been relief, it seemed she really did think he was up to something malicious after all. "Sango I would never..." Inuyasha trailed off, as it was the truest of true he would never** ever **do anything as disgusting as hire a teenage prostitute, or any prostitute for that matter. Not that Kikyo was far off, more of a groupie, or friend with benefits, minus the "friend" part. As true as that was, he couldn't really be hurt by the accusations in her voice, because it was true. He did want Kagome in that way but he also, and more strongly, wanted her in a deeper more meaningful way. And that was exactly why he wasn't letting anyone take her away from him, not even Sango. Who had been more like a mother to him than an assistant for longer than he could remember. He looked up at Sango to see that sympathetic look in her eyes, the same on he had seen many times before when she had told him he couldn't have something, couldn't go somwhere because it would be harmful to him, or the company, which was in essence, himself. "No..."

"Inuyasha..." she reached her hand out to him, touching his arm gently.

"No!" he growled back again, taking a few steps away from her, moving Kagome behind him. "Not this time! **Not this time**!"

"You're acting like a child! If you want a woman find yourself an older one and take a respectable wife!" Sango yelled at him angrily this time, it was obvious it was just as painful for her, it was obvious she truly cared about Inuyasha deeply, and the mere fact that she had to do something that would be painful for him, caused deep scares in her heart. It was obvious, like any mother, she was just taking away a dangerous toy. Something that in the end, as fun as it could be, would harm her child.

"I'm dangerous." the two looked back at the girl who finally spoke, quiet and calmly. "I can't help Inuyasha, I can only hurt him, I see that now."

"What are you talking about Kagome?" Inuyasha turned around and grabbed her arms, "You're not going anywhere!"

"Yes, I am." She pulled away from him and hurried beside Sango, "You can make me disappear, Sango."

"You're a very smart girl...?" Sango's sentence fell short, obviously a name would come next.

"I'm a lost girl, I don't have a name." Kagome replied, her face void of emotion as her words tore into Inuyasha.

"Kagome don't!" He held out his arms to her, "Come!" She shook her head, her eyes never leaving the floor. Sango herded her towards the door, trying to make the separation as quick and painless as possible.

"We'll reschedule this meeting for another day." she closed the door behind her and the two females where gone.

"YOU BITCH!" Inuyasha yelled grabbing a lamp from a near by end table and hurling it across the room, it smashed against the wall and shattered into a million pieces. "I'll never let you get away with this Sango! NEVER! Kagome is **mine**!"

Kagome stared blankly through the car window as meaningless scenery flashed past. Sango had put her coat on the half naked girl but she couldn't feel any warmth. Only endless harsh cold reality, and the smell of Inuyasha on the dress shirt she still wore swamped out all her other senses. Her vision blurred and she couldn't seem to get her thoughts straight since she made the decision to leave Inuyasha, her home, so he could at least survive. She would never have been able to forgive herself if she even damaged the reputation of his company, let alone destroyed it. Which with Inuyasha's obvious popularity, and most likely bountiful female clientele, was almost sure to happen. Sango solidified her current hazy thoughts.

"You did the right thing." She glanced down at Kagome from the steering wheel of the nice silver car she was driving.

"I know." Kagome replied trying to sound convincing, the only thing she knew at that moment was that this hurt, a lot. "What's going to happen to me?"

"I'm going to put out a discrete notice of your...being found, hopefully some family or friend of yours will recognize you and come to your aid." Sango didn't say anymore, and Kagome didn't bother pointing out the obvious, if anyone cared they probably would have seen some sign of her being looked for by now. If anyone cared, she wouldn't have been in that alley in the first place. She wished she could remember more, but all she could remember from before Inuyasha was that she was sixteen. Only that she was sixteen because, she remembered counting the years very carefully, like it was the only thing she did in her life before she ended up in that alley. But, why?

It was still very early when they arrived at the police station. "I'm going to go in and talk to some people about you. Stay here." Sango snapped a picture of Kagome on her cell and turned up the heater on the car before slamming the door behind her and clicking her way off into the building. Kagome just stared out the glass, not really seeing anything outside. Her vision seemed to end at the transparent material in front of her.

-click- "Brr! Sorry I took so long, I must have been in there for three hours at least!" She truly did look apologetic, but her words were wasted on Kagome. Who hadn't moved a muscle since she left. "Anyways, we've got your picture out in many places, there's bound to be someone here for you anytime now!"

"Thank you." Kagome replied numbly.

"Well, yes, you're very welcome." Sango coughed awkwardly, "How about you come stay with me until we get that call?"

"Thank you."

Sango glanced over at her concernedly many times before they reached her home. Kagome vaguely wondered if Sango thought she was crazy, if she thought Inuyasha and her were crazy. What would such a situation look like to other people? Definitely not good, but Kagome knew what they had couldn't last forever, she had just wanted a little longer.

"Just a little longer..." Kagome mumbled and Sango touched her hand, she looked up.

"What were you and Inuyasha?" her eyes were very serious, and also strangely inquisitive. Like she was some sort of strange animal.

"I was his pet." Kagome replied bluntly, no point in trying to dress it up, hide it, she wasn't ashamed of it. A pet was a confidant, a crutch, a source of love and affection, something that made someone happy, she was proud of what she symbolized for Inuyasha, what she could provide for him those two short days.

"That's..." Sango stared at her in disbelief, "That's unnatural."

"Do you think so?" Kagome mused uncaring.

"A human can't be another human's pet, a hanyou can't be a hanyou's pet, and a demon can't be a demon's pet. We all coexist on the same level. Saying you are a pet is like saying you are not a person, that you are below any of our existence, that you are less than us." Kagome could tell Sango was trying not to sound preachy, but honestly trying to talk some sense into her.

"It's all in the eye of the beholder Sango, how one person sees something is not how everyone sees it. And I would be anything for Inuyasha." That was it, she wasn't refusing Sango's logic, if anything she was accepting and saying that it just really didn't matter to her.

"I see.." Sango couldn't help but admire Kagome, to go so far for the one you love, it was crazy. But love was crazy. "Hahaha...of coarse, only Inuyasha..." she laughed and sighed tiredly. "Let's get out."

They walked up to another nice apartment, not as extravagant as Inuyasha's and not as well located but still very ritzy. They rode the elevator a few floors and got off, walking to the end of the hall left of the elevator Sango pulled out a key and opened the nice wooden door. She called out, "Don't do anything insane Miroku, we have a guest!" Kagome blinked as a defeated "awww" came from a closet down the hall. "Get out of there this instant!" Sango fumed obviously embarrassed.

"I can't..." the man's voice came again.

"Why the hell not Miroku? Don't tell me you're stuck again!" Sango kicked off her heels in a huff and stomped over to the door.

"No wait-!" Miroku sounded distressed, "I'm not decent!" This seemed to take the air out of Sango's sails and made Kagome blush.

"Love is crazy.." she repeated herself, this time out loud. "Unbelievable and crazy."

"Aww baby, don't say that." the closet man replied disturbing the door slightly.

"Come with me Kagome, I can never apologize enough for my idiot boyfriend." She led Kagome away from the hall and into a spare bedroom, it was probably better off this way. Miroku had a week spot for cute girls, and Kagome was as cute as they come. Only clad in a dress shirt. Yet too thin, unhealthy thin. Even as good as she must have been eating two days wasn't enough to become healthy after starvation. She got her something to wear and a little bit later made Kagome a big meal of noodles and stir fry, but she didn't touch a thing. And it wasn't like she could force her to eat, instead she just let her be. Let her mourn the unusual bond she had with Inuyasha alone in the guest room. After all what could she do? She was the iceberg to their Rose and Jack, the family hatred to their Romeo and Juliet. The only thing she could confide in was the fact that they would both live on, hopefully the better for what she did. Her hopefulness almost seemed to be rewarded when she got a phone call early the next day. She hadn't disturbed Kagome at all since the awkward dinner, and she had pretty much locked Miroku in their bedroom. She knocked and opened the guest bedroom door,

"Kagome?" she peeked in the see her sitting on the floor staring at the wall. "Hey sweetie, I just got a phone call. Apparently someone has come to collect you! They know who you are, they have all your papers. Isn't that great?" Kagome felt she should be excited, this could be her long lost family. But the same thought kept rebounding in her brain.

"If someone out there wanted me, why hadn't they tried to find me?" Kagome frowned, this didn't seem right, "Why did it take me being conveniently found and delivered to get someone to care enough to make a phone call?"

"You know I really can't answer that, there could have been a lot of different reasons." Sango was hoping the news would have made the undeniably depressed girl at least a little happy. She tried to push the thought of Kagome jumping up and down with joy from her mind, just a pipe dream I guess. "Why don't we go find out?" They got back in the car, Kagome hadn't even gotten to meet Miroku,but that was probably for the best. No point in meeting someone you're never going to see again. It didn't take long to get to the police station, they stepped out and Kagome was assaulted with a familiar scent. What was it? Dirt? Bugs? Death? Demon. She looked around cautiously, she felt her body begin to quiver uncontrollably. Sango mistook her fear as delight and nervousness, and thought maybe she would get to see a happy jumping girl after all. "Here he is, your father."

"Kagome." a thick velvety voice came from a man who seemed to appear out of nowhere, no not a man, not a human man at least, a demon. Kagome was scared, and confused.

"Kagome?" she echoed.

"Yes my dear, that's your name." He seemed to slither up between her and Sango and put his hand on her shoulder, it was cold and unfeeling. Kagome shuddered. "Thank you so much miss, I can't tell you how much I've worried about my dear sweet little girl."

"Not at all...sir?" Sango replied, reuniting a father and his daughter, this had to make up for something. Though she was a little bit confused as to their different races.

"Naraku." He smiled sickeningly sweet back, "Kagome is my adoptive daughter, as you may have noticed."

"Oh I see, how nice." she responded, something seemed a little off, how did Inuyasha know Kagome's name before she herself did? Did he know who Kagome was? And why did Kagome seem so frightened? This was weird.

"Well, I have handed in all the proper paper work to attain custody of my little run away again. So we shall take our leave, right Kagome?" he glanced down at her and what Sango saw cross Kagome's face was unmistakable horror. Naraku began to cart Kagome away but before they got too far Sango reached out and grabbed Kagome's hand.

"Are you okay Kagome?" she couldn't help but feel concerned, only minutes ago she had just wanted to pass the girl off and get back to do some damage control on her boss. But now...

"Yes." Kagome replied tight lipped and eyes straight. "Don't contact me again." She had a strange look in her eyes, was that a warning? A million thoughts flew through Sango's mind and she wanted to grab Kagome and make a break for it. But many police officers had huddled outside to see the touching reunion and Naraku had proved without a doubt that he was her guardian...at least to them.

Something was definitely wrong here, this Naraku wasn't who he said he was, or even if he was, Kagome was in trouble. Sango watched helplessly as Kagome got into a black car and was driven off by someone she could only describe as "evil". Only one person came to mind who could help her get to the bottom of this, and it wasn't going to be easy with what she had just done to him, and who she might have just handed his pet over to.


	10. Past

Chapter 10,  
Past

"You have to let me see him!" Sango shook the locked front entrance to Inuyasha's condo building. "This is important!"

"I'm sorry miss but the owner of the top floor has strictly forbidden any guests at this moment. This includes, and is not limited to you, his assistant." he did seem apologetic but also annoyed with how Inuyasha always seemed to cause door trouble for him. He was probably tired from all the crazy broads demanding to see him.

"Listen, guy." Sango began assertively pointing at him through the glass, "This is something Inuyasha would want to know about, a matter of life and death! And if you don't let me through it's him you're going to have to answer to!" The doorman seemed to contemplate this for a moment before answering.

"I'll take my chances." and with that he had turned around and walked back behind his big desk, dead to the world. Sango kicked the door angrily, "Stupid bullet proof glass, what hotel needs bullet proof glass?" If it wasn't, she would have seriously considered breaking it. She flipped open her cell phone hitting the number one speed dial for the millionth time that day and tried not the think of the time a deranged woman had actually shown up and tried to shoot Inuyasha. Glass saved his life.

"Pick up you stupid hanyou!" she growled listening to the rings and eventual answering service. "Dammit!" Sango had to stop herself from throwing her cell phone to the ground and smashing it in frustration. She turned around and stomped quickly back to her car and jumped in, maybe she could get a hold of him through her... A little bit later she pulled up to another fancy looking apartment, only this one wasn't in the best part of town. She got out and made sure to lock the doors, the doorman barely looked up to notice her come in and soon she was on another elevator headed for the 5th floor. Good thing she had had to come here before to find Inuyasha. She got off and knocked on the first door to the right. There was silence. "Fuck." Sango groaned turning away to head back to the elevator.

"Keep your panties on, I'm coming." a groggy voice bubbled up from a ways behind the door. Sango stepped back and was greeted with a dishevelled looking Kikyo as the door creaked open. "What the fuck do you want?"

"I need to borrow your cell phone." she pleaded grudgingly, Inuyasha wasn't likely to answer any unknown numbers, because he was sure to know it was her, he wasn't stupid. But maybe, just maybe, he would answer for Kikyo.

"Ha, fat chance bimbo." Kikyo laughed like Sango had said the funniest thing in the world and began to slam the door in her face.

"Wait!" Sango stuck her foot in the way and flinched slightly as the door crushed it between it's self and the frame.

"Are you fucking crazy? Get off my doorstep!" Her voice was shrill now and annoyed.

"Please, this is important." Sango could see this really meant nothing to her.

"What's in it for me?" Kikyo shot back, always looking out for number one.

"I'll set up a date for you and Inuyasha, he owes me. You and him can talk, make up." Sango wasn't exactly sure how things came to be between Inuyasha and Kikyo but she did know Kikyo didn't want to give up her meal ticket, not without a fight.

"I'll hold you to that Sango." Kikyo smiled wickedly and pulled her cell phone out from between her breasts, which were trying to escape the tiny tank top she was wearing above shorts that must have been meant for children.

"Thanks..." Sango grabbed it and pressed one, it seemed Inuyasha was first on everybody's list these days. She held the phone a ways away from her face and listened to the first three rings.

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me? This is getting ridiculous, we're over." Inuyasha's voice came clear on the other end of the line and Sango almost dropped to her knees in relief.

"Kagome's in trouble." She didn't bother saying who it was, he would know, and this was the only way she could grantee he would stay on the line. There was a few seconds of silence and Sango almost thought he would hang up, but of coarse, he didn't.

"What do you mean?" His voice was unsteady now, shaking slightly. Obviously just hearing Sango's voice filled him with rage but the news she was giving him seemed to chill him to the bone.

"Inuyasha how did you know Kagome's real name? How?" She ignored his question, she needed answers.

"What the fuck do you mean Sango? Tell me what's happened to Kagome!"

"That's right, her name **is** Kagome, her real name is!" Sango yelled angerly into the phone, how could he know who she was and not have said anything? Just played like he didn't know a thing about her! How cruel. There was silence again.

"What do you mean?" Sango was getting annoyed, all these questions, no answers.

"A demon man came to pick up Kagome today, he had all her paper work and her name **is** Kagome, her **birth** name."

"How...?" he sounded like he was in disbelief.

"That's what I want to know. How did you come up with that name Inuyasha? Did you know who she was?" Sango sounded angry and accusing now, she felt herself shaking.

"No...no way...i..." he stumbled over his words, obviously lost in some memory of the past.

"HOW INUYASHA?" she knew she should lower her voice, but couldn't help it.

"I...when I was little, there was a cat... I decided to name her Kagome because on t.v..." he seemed to be choking out his words now.

"What was one t.v?"

"There was a girl on the news..." Sango could hear Inuyasha swallow hard, "A two year old girl had gone missing, she was kidnapped Sango." She didn't say anything, it was like both of them were in shock. "Her name was Kagome, I named the cat Kagome because I thought that they were the same, both lost, both scared." There was silence now as this sunk it. "Could she be, could my Kagome be that girl..?" More silence, the question answered itself, the time line matched up perfectly, he saw the news cast when he was seven. That was fourteen years ago, when Kagome would have been two. This was no odd coincidence, this was the real thing. And Sango had just handed Kagome over to someone who was most likely her kidnapper.

"Oh god..." Sango sobbed sliding to the floor. "What have I done?"

"Sango calm down, I need you to tell me everythin-" Inuyasha didn't get to finish before Kikyo swiped her phone back from the woman on the floor.

"Hey!" Sango got up and almost tackled Kikyo.

"You didn't tell me this was about that little slut! I don't want Inuyasha anywhere near her! Good riddance to the bitch, I hope that fucking demon kills her!"

-SLAP- Kikyo stumbled back a few feet into the doorway and clutched her face, shock and embarrassment littered her face. "You bitch!" she hissed and sprung out at Sango who was ready to tear her a new one when her phone began ringing. Instead of staying to teach Kikyo a lesson she took off down the stairs. "I HOPE YOU ALL DIE!" Kikyo screamed out in a very ugly manor and slammed her door. Sango barley noticed as she skipped groups of 3-4 stairs on her way down. She opened her phone not stopping.

"You really picked a lovely one with that tramp Inuyasha." she groaned hurdling another group of steps.

"Never mind that Sango, do you know where that man took Kagome?" His voice didn't waver anymore, but it was terribly urgent.

"No, all I know is his name is Naraku, and that he drove a black car with tinted windows." Inuyasha typed away at a laptop he stored in a desk and never really used. Because of his work he was terribly good with a computer. He could find almost any piece of information as long as he had something tied to it, like a name.

"I don't know..there's a few "Naraku"s that stand out, do you know anything else? Anything?"

"He's a demon, he has long black hair and red eyes. He smelt weird, like rotten earth." Inuyasha clacked at the keyboard for a little while more while Sango got to her car. She unlocked it and jumped in jamming the key into the ignition and starting it up with a roar, she set off at an illegally high speed towards her boss.

"I've got it, I know who he is."

"So tell me!" Sango cried into her cell, half relieved half terrified for the answer. But she never got one, instead she heard a click and then empty line on the other end of her phone. "No!" She hit the gas even harder, hitting all new kinds of illegal. She got to Inuyasha's place in no time, but much to her horror and dread, his car was already gone.

"Fuck." Inuyasha snarled speeding down the road, why this guy? Why did it have to be a fucking glorified, modern mob boss. Naraku ran or was part of almost every shady deal that went down in Tokyo at night. He ran the entire underground network, the black market, human prostitution, illegal demon fights, you name it he was the dark face behind it. But he had so many people working for him it was almost impossible to trace anything back to him, and if anyone managed to, they were either payed off or expunged. Why did he want Kagome? What could he gain from kidnapping her all those years ago? Inuyasha's car skid to a stop out front a seedy looking bar, this was a well known stomping ground of Naraku's. He got out and didn't hesitate going in at all, the buff demon out front stuck his arm out in front of Inuyasha who grabbed and twisted until he let him through.

As he entered the dark dingy place his eyes adjusted, it was actually a lot bigger inside than it appeared outside. But that was probably because the floor sank down quite a few meters, it was built into the the earth. And over time the entire place took on the dank and unpleasant smell of dirt. He walked down a long staircase and onto a dance floor, pushing his way through the crowd he looked around for the man Sango had described. There, surrounded by a crowd of people at a luxurious circular booth in almost the middle of the club Inuyasha saw him sitting. His arm around a small dark haired girl beside him who seemed to be trembling and kept pulling up the strap of a skimpy outfit she was obviously uncomfortable wearing. "Kagome..." Inuyasha headed straight for the table, his arm outstretched towards her. He was stopped at the edge by two lean but strong people, one a demon woman, and the other a large male demon. It seemed Naraku really liked to surround himself with his own kind.

"What have we got here?" The demon woman spoke up running her finger down Inuyasha's chest.

"Don't touch me wench." Inuyasha barked at her pushing her aside, "I'm here for Naraku."

"Nobody gets to talk to Master Naraku." The big demon chipped in moving closer to Inuyasha.

"Kagura, Goshinki, settle down. I think this hanyou might have business with me." He waved off his two body guards and let Inuyasha through to the edge of the table. Inuyasha didn't take his eyes of Kagome who stared right back at him. "What have I, the humble Naraku, done to deserve a visit from such a famous and wealthy half demon?" His words were harsh and his eyes cold and as he said this he brushed a speck of dirt off of the expensive and gaudy dark purple sute he was wearing.

"You are not Kagome's father." Inuyasha words were strong and full of rage.

"No...I think I am." he laughed back mockingly and Inuyasha reacted by slamming his hands down on the table. This ceased the demon's awful chuckling and his face grew serious. "What does it matter to you, boy? What is she to you?" Inuyasha glared at him bearing his fangs.

"I love Kagome, and I plan on taking her back with me." This started him laughing again.

"My my, little Kagome, what did you do when you managed to escape to gain such a prestigious man's heart?" he grabbed her chin roughly and made her look at him, "You are a sly little minx aren't you?" and he pushed his mouth onto her's, forcing her to kiss him by holding her chin in place with his hand. Her eyes shot open and deaden in response, she seemed to struggle slightly to no avail. He pulled away and licked his lips. "There's just something about this human girl that seems to get demon's blood boiling, am I right Inuyasha?" Inuyasha was in uncontrollable rage, he lept forward across the table and tried to grab Naraku, he wanted to beat the shit out of him. But the two demons from earlier restrained him.

"Let me go!" He growled fangs bared, now he was glaring at Naraku with all the hate in the world. Kagome shook beside him, tears forming in her eyes.

"No I think we need to have a chat Inuyasha, sit down." he motioned to a spot on the bench across from him and his people and the two demons push him into a sitting position and stayed glued to his shoulders. "Before all these...ugly actions. You wanted to know how I came into possession of Kagome?" he baited Inuyasha who bore into him fiercely. "Since you're so curious and it's such a riveting tale, I'll divulge in you, just this once." He smiled a wicked grin and began. "I acquired Kagome when she was only two, just a babe. I of coarse had never planned to keep her this long." He motioned to the now teenage girl beside him, "But some circumstances change my original plans. You may have not known Inuyasha, but a long time ago their was a very wealthy family called the "Higurashi"s." This last name made Kagome flinch and the tears in her eyes spill over and trickle down her face. "There, there my sweet." Naraku spoke in mock sympathy and continued his dreadful story, "Now I was just starting out back then, needed a quick buck. Can you believe my luck? Coming across the infant daughter of one of the richest families in Japan?" Naraku's face was utter glee and it made Inuyasha sick to his stomach.

"You took her." His voice was beyond disgust.

"I did." he replied proudly. "And it was a perfect plan too, take the girl, demand a huge ransom. Perfect but..." his eyes clouded in thought.

"But?"

"Well obviously it didn't work out like that, because look who still has little Kagome?" he spoke in a cruel teasing voice directly to Inuyasha.

"What happened to her parents?" he growled accusingly.

"They died! Can you believe that? Right after i kidnapped their daughter they up and get in a car crash before they can pay me my money! Isn't that just hilariously ironic?" Kagome seemed to be falling apart beside him and Inuyasha spat,

"Let me guess, you frame someone else for the kidnapping, and with no other living relatives to claim Kagome you show up out of nowhere, a family friend, to adopt her. Like a fucking hero."

"Exactly." Naraku smiles triumphantly. "At first I was only keeping her alive for the inheritance, but now." he leaned down and pressed his nose into Kagome's hair breathing in, "Well now I just like her company."

"But she got away once." Inuyasha continued, trying to break the contact between the demon and Kagome.

"Yes, regrettable." he sighed waving his hand in the air as if to shoe away some bad memory, "The little mouse slipped out one night when I had gotten careless, searched and searched but she's just so good at hiding." His voice got lower and a hint of annoyance could be heard.

"Give her to me." Inuyasha's voice was serious, and somewhat business like.

"Now why would I ever do a thing like that?" Naraku laughed.

"I'll give you two times her inheritance in return." Inuyasha's face didn't falter.

"Why Inuyasha, that would with out a doubt bankrupt your company." his voice still had the playful hum it possessed but now he seemed more serious. Inuyasha didn't doubt money was the only think that spoke to a guy like him, money, and the power that came with it.

"I don't care. I'll get it all and deliver it to you in return for Kagome and her guaranteed safety." Naraku seemed to be thinking this over and Inuyasha held his breath.

"Don't do this Inuyasha," Kagome whispered quietly, "Don't ruin your life for me."

"I can't live without you Kagome." Inuyasha responded trying to convey his feelings to her through his eyes. Naraku glared at them both, taking in everything that was happening between them and it made him and as calm and calculating as he was, a flash of something like anger, or maybe even jelaousy passed over his face.

"No deal." he smiled and pulled Kagome closer to him. "I think I'll make Kagome my wife, with her guardian's consent that is." he laughed cruelly and bent down to kiss Kagome again. She pulled away from him and reached out for Inuyasha. She let a blood curdling cry,

"INUYASHA!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Inuyasha managed to pull himself free from the two demons, obviously caught up in the interesting exchange and shot across the table. His claws met Naraku's flesh and dug in, he lifted up his right arm and let it fly across Naraku's face. Naraku was sort of trapped behind the booth but lifted up his arms to protect himself,

"Someone get this rabid mutt off of me!" He yelled out angerly at all the by standers. Suddenly and unexplainably Sango was beside Inuyasha, it all seemed to happen in slow motion. Sango was there, she was pulling Kagome up from beside Naraku and was turning around to run only to be blocked by a group of demons. Inuyasha let go of Naraku who he had to have punched at least 23 times and hoped was dead but very much doubted it. Cockroaches like him always seemed to survive. He turned around and barrelled through the crowd pulling Sango and Kagome along behind him. It almost seemed like most of Naraku's lackeys didn't even try to stop them, he wondered if Naraku had a single truly loyal friend but laughed at the idea before they somehow managed to break free back through the entrance. Inuyasha had punched and kicked and clawed their way through and now sported a series of colourful blood stains on his shirt and pants. He took Kagome from Sango with a look that meant more than "thank you" and ran to his car. Sango parted and got into hers and they took off down the street in a cloud of dust. Inuyasha allowed himself to steal a glance at Kagome in the passenger's seat beside him once they were a safe distance away, it didn't seem like anyone was fallowing them.

"I never did anything with him." She was crying, "I swear I never did anything with him Inuyasha."

"I don't care Kagome, I love you." He said and reached across patting her head the way he used to. She looked up at him and burst into more tears.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...I couldn't remember anything." She rubbed at her eyes like they were on fire, "I didn't know, not untill I saw him, then it all came back. What he did to me and my family!" A fresh wave of fear and tears washed over her and she covered her ears like she could still hear his disgusting voice.

"I know, I know. Everything is alright now he can't hurt you Kagome, I'm here and I'll never let go of you ever again." What he did want to let go of was the steering wheel. He wanted to reach across and hold her so bad. She continued to cry, and he let her until she seemed to run out of tears and fell into an uneasy sleep from exhaustion. Inuyasha gazed down at her motionless form.

"I'm the sorry one." he whispered, "I should have protected you better." his grip tightened on the steering wheel and he almost didn't hear his cell phone the first few times it rung. He answered,

"How is she?" it was Sango of coarse.

"Asleep."

"Inuyasha...I'm-" he cut her off.

"Enough sorries! This isn't either of your fault, if anyone's it's mine!" he growled in frustration, why did things have to be like this?

"What are we going to do with her?" Sango questioned now, sounding concerned but ready to help with anything.

"I don't know..." Inuyasha answered staring down at his little pet, "But she's staying with me." what now?


	11. All That is Left

Chapter 11,  
All That is Left

"I have to see her!" A fourteen year old boy with jet black hair passed back and forth a big, traditional looking living room anxiously.

"You know I can't allow that." An elderly woman stood a few feet away, not blocking the door per say, but definitely making a point of placing her body between his and the exit.

"But Kaede! She's my SISTER!" he looked at her pleadingly, his hands clutched tightly to his chest, twisting the fabric of the orange and blue t-shirt he was wearing.

"Souta, you know even if I would allow it the man who adopted Kagome has strictly forbidden any contact between the two of you." she said this patiently and exact, like it was something she had quoted many times in the past.

"Isn't that weird though? Why would he do that!" he turned his head now to the floor angrily, tears forming in his melted chocolate brown eyes. "I want to see her."

"As I've told you before, I believe he wanted your sister to have a new start." Kaede walked slowly over to the distressed boy, her long red skirt swayed out behind her gently. "Wouldn't you want your sister to forget her kidnapping? All the hurt of her past?" She placed her hand lovingly on his thin shoulder.

"But what about me, Kaede? Why must I hurt all alone?" He looked straight in to her old, tired eyes for an answer.

"I am here, and I will be, until you are a man who can live happily." They stared at each other, Kaede's eyes speaking things of love and comfort. Souta's of longing and unwavering sadness.

"Something is wrong, she ran away."

"Yes, we did receive news of her being missing, but we also received news of her being found. It was most likely just a dash of teenage rebellion and Naraku worried, nothing to get into a tizzy about my boy. You know how protective he is of his daughter."

"She's not his daughter!" Souta yelled angrily, he picked a pillow up of the floor and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall unfazed and fell to the ground.

"Hush, enough of this foolishness. Your sister is safe, everything is well."

-doo doo dee doo- The tv suddenly and without notice burst into action, apparently it had been on the entire time playing some mundane sope opera but now a hanyou man wearing a suit behind a desk appeared meaningfully on the wide screen.

"I have an urgent report, Kagome Higurashi, heir to the Higurashi fortune has just gone missing for a second time." Kaede glanced over at Souta who didn't take his eyes off the screen. "Unlike last time, where the incident was reported as a "misunderstanding" and the sixteen year old girl was found at a local police station a few weeks later, slightly malnourished but otherwise unharmed. This time she had been reported as "Kidnapped", and although the criminal is still unknown, we want all of you keeping an eye out for her." After a few pictures of Kagome flashed on screen the report ended and the dull show started up again, the story broken and confusing due to the missing chunk.

"Kagome..."

"Don't even think about it young man!" the grey haired woman yelled frustratedly. "I will not have you going to juvenile hall again! Last time you snuck out to see her Naraku was lenient with you're punishment, but this time we won't be so lucky!"

"She hasn't just run away, she's been kidnapped, again! This is insane, how can you try and stop me?" His arms were extended, palms up, enfasizing his confusion with her unwillingness. "She's my flesh and blood, I have to help find her!"

"I will not allow it, there are police and other people who will be able to find Kagome. There is nothing for you to do Souta."

"No, I refused to abandon her when she needs me." Souta started for the door, pushing his way past Kaede.

"I've raised you Souta, I've taken care of you since you were the tiniest babe, taken out of your mother before you were ready. Salvaged from the car crash that killed your parents. Please, PLEASE don't throw away this precious life you were blessed with chasing after a sister that doesn't know you exist!"

"You didn't see her!" Souta's shouted angrily at the woman that had been the only mother he had ever known and stared very seriously at her not truly seeing Kaede. Instead he saw the slight, frail frame of his older sister staring out a window three stories up in a mansion that resembled more of a cage than anything else. In his memory she was beautiful, gazing up at the sky with a look that could only be described as longing, longing and melancholy. Before he had been able to reach her a group of demons had caught him and expelled him from the residents, but he swore that day, that one day, he would meet his sister, and he would free her from the man who had put her in that cage. "I **will** save her."

"You break my heart Souta..." Kaede walked uneasily to one of the couches and fell, more than sat, down. "When will you give up these illusions of your sister? When will you live for yourself?"

"When I see her smile, I will live." Souta replied back strongly and headed for the door, as he turned the knob he hesitated for only a second before leaving the room, the room and the only person who had ever truly cared about him.

Souta hopped on the back of a black motorcycle he had had to per sway Kaede for years to let him have. He wasn't old enough yet for a license but when someone had a piece of a fortune in their name they could afford to take chances. Fortunately before his parents had been in that accident, when they had first realized they were pregnant. They had included him, their nameless, genderless, spec of a human in their will. And although he could not access the funds yet, his Guardian, Kaede who had been a faithful maid for his parents, had been added for an generous sum as well. He supposed it was thought that if anything where to ever happen to his parents that Kaede was supposed to take care of them both until they came of age, received their fortunes and could take care of themselves.. And he didn't doubt that she had tried to gain custody of Kagome as well. It just...hadn't worked out like that. Naraku had had a suspicious amount of connections in the deciding of where his sister ended up. And he had just been a sickly baby back then, taken from his mother too early soon after she passed, damaged and too weak, too unknowing to help his sister at all. But not his time. He sped down the highway, he had only the slightest clue where he was going or where he was going to end up. He did know where he wasn't going, and that was Naraku's cage. He knew one thing for sure, his sister, thankfully, wasn't there. As he approached downtown Tokyo he weaved between cars and began to ponder what was happening to Kagome. She had disappeared for weeks before, what hellish weeks those were for him, before being found at a downtown police station. And before that he could have sworn he saw her in a newspaper article... Kaede had seen something before he had and taken it away from him. What was it.. the girl who looked so much like the girl in the window, his sister. She was with someone, that, he could remember. A man with long snow coloured hair had been blocking her from the cameras.

-HONK HONK- A loud horn sounded to his right and he had to swerve to avoid a large truck almost crashing right into him.

"Dammit!" he swivelled into an alley and got of his bike, kicking the kick stand sharply into place he jumped off and slammed his fist into the sturdy brick wall to his right. "Fuck!" Maybe he was just going crazy, maybe that article hadn't had anything to do with his sister. Maybe he had just imagined her face there, behind that company president. That was it! He was a president of a very large company, his name...his name was.. "Inuyasha." Souta mumbled walking back to his bike with new determination. So maybe this guy didn't have anything to do with his sister, and maybe he did. There was only one way to find out. 

"Haha stop it!" Kagome giggled gently pushing Inuyasha away, who didn't really move at all.

"No, I'm going to kiss every single ounce of sadness and doubt right out of you." He grinned and kissed her forehead and cheek again for what must have been the millionth time. "I have to make sure you'll never think of leaving me again." He planted another playful kiss, this time on her nose.

"Oh Inuyasha, can't you see? Even if I wanted to I could never truly leave you." She smiled a knowing smile and placed her index finger over his lips.

"Why?" he mumbled through a half sealed mouth, wonderment written all over his face.

"Because you're on top of me." she stated bluntly making Inuyasha pause.

"Hey..." he smirked down at her and pulled her up into an embrace, "That's not funny."

"I'm just joking Inuyasha." She returned the hug, wrapping her arms around him and pulling herself into the chest she had begun to know so well as home. "Do you want to know the real reason I would never leave you?" she didn't sound like she was joking around again but he didn't respond. He just held onto her like she would float away if he let go, up through the ceiling, out into the sky, and away from him, somewhere he could never reach her again. After a while of silent hugging her mustered a response.

"Yes." Kagome slid around so she was in a sitting position on his lap.

"Alright," She began, pausing for only a minute, "When you found me I became yours, and you said it would be forever, right?" He felt like he was walking into something but responded anyways.

"Yes."

"And you meant that, right?"

"Of coarse."

"And that was a promise, don't you understand Inuyasha?" she leaned her head back into the groove between his shoulder and neck, "That was no joke, it wasn't a silly promised made between kids. I love you and that promise I really took to heart. I want to be with you forever." He blushed as she seemed to dumb her feelings down for him till it was a love confession. She was being so brass, he couldn't see but she felt very warm and he was almost positive she was blushing as well.

"I only want you, Kagome." He lowered his head and kissed her neck, not playfully like before, this time deeper. His voice was serious and she trembled at the touch of his lips, his warm breath on her neck. She turned around to meet his lips and they kissed like they never had before. So confident in the love they had for each other, now that it had been voiced out loud. Inuyasha's hands moved up her body until they where in her long dark hair. Her hands on his muscular chest which wasn't hard to feel through the thin white t-shirt he was wearing. Something escaped Kagome's mouth, a noise, that she had never herd herself make before. At first she was embarrassed, but then surprised by the affect it seemed to have on Inuyasha. His eyes grew very intense, and his body seemed to flex and tighten, he moved them in a smooth motion. She was now lying on the floor of their apartment on her back, and he was leaning over on top of her. He kissed her neck again, slowly and sexually. It felt good but Kagome didn't know how to respond. Inuyasha's big strong arms trapped her on ether side and she couldn't make up her mind if it bothered her or not. "Kagome..." he whispered her name and it sent chills down her body before she felt his hands slid up her sides, touching her bare skin. She squealed and tried to cover her body with her arms.

"No, don't look at me." she blushed madly, knowing her body looked disgusting. It didn't seem to matter how much food she shovelled down at Inuyasha's, her body just didn't seem to want to plump up to a healthy weight.

"Kagome, you don't even understand how beautiful you are." Of coarse he wanted her to gain more weight, he had been shovelling food into her like it was going out of style. She felt so breakable underneath him, but he loved her no matter what she looked like. His hands wrested at her sides.

"I..." Kagome mumbled embarrassed still holding tightly onto herself before Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her again.

"It's okay, we can stop." He smiled at her and got off, pulling her up into his arms. "I'm sorry, sometimes when I'm with you I just lose my head...I know this is no time for... "that"." Kagome blushed at his words, had he really intended to have sex with her? She was instantly relieved he had stopped, and then the slightest bit disappointed. She wanted to say something, something to let him know it was okay, and that she did want to give her everything to him, she just needed a little bit more time. But no words came out, anything she said would have just been awkward and miss guiding. Instead she kissed him lightly and smiled. He grinned back before heading for the bathroom, "I need to cool my head, you go get something to eat." She watched Inuyasha saunter to the bathroom, his long silver hair flowing behind him and his back muscles still rigid. He had a lean but muscular build that just made her swoon, it was beyond her that a guy like Inuyasha, in every aspect of his being. Could ever have such feelings for her.

"Alright." she said breathlessly but stayed at the same spot staring after him, replaying what had just happened in her mind over and over again until she heard the shower start and a few minutes later a knock at the door. She walked over and opened it, knowing the only person it would be.

"Hey Sango." She smiled and let the older woman in, once the door was closed behind her Kagome gave her a tight hug.

"Did you see it?" Sango squeezed her back, unintentionally mashing Kagome's face into her huge breasts.

"Mmph." Kagome nodded her head up and down between Sango's chest, struggling for air.

"I thought so." She responded without really paying attention and pushed Kagome out in front of her, "Where's Inuyasha?"

"S-shower..." She blushed and tried not to look as frazzled about the reason Inuyasha had needed that cold shower as much as she really was.

"I need to talk to the both of you, can you get him for me?" Her face didn't waver from the seriousness it had conducted since the moment she got there.

"Uh..."

"Hurry!" she pushed Kagome along and went to get herself something to drink from the kitchen. Kagome padded slowly to the bathroom door, she knocked but there was no answer.

"Hey Inuyasha?" She called out but still no answer, she turned the knob and opened the door a crack. She hadn't noticed the water had stopped running and she had to hold her breath to keep from gasping. Inuyasha was standing in the middle of the bathroom, only a white towel tied low and loosely around his lower body covered him. His back was to her and she stared in amazement at how long his hair really looked wet. It seemed to shimmer as the light bounced off of it and water droplets slid down his hair and his back, along the creases of his muscles. She covered her eyes, blushing madly. "Inuyasha..." she gulped. She could hear him turn around.

"Oh, hey." he whispered walking over to her, he pulled her into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. When she opened her eyes a crack she could see Inuyasha was close in front of her, his long arms were on either side of her, pinning her to the wall.

"Uh, what's wrong?" she asked nervously, Inuyasha was only a few inches away from her, and almost completely naked. It made her heart feel like it was going to explode and her lungs felt like they couldn't get enough air no matter how hard she was breathing.

"Sango's here isn't she..?" Inuyasha mumbled still pinning Kagome in place with arms that made a sort of fence, but his eyes were on the floor. His head tilted downs so that she couldn't see his face.

"Yeah she wanted to talk to us about something important, that's the only reason...I.." she blushed awkwardly still trying to get enough air.

"I...don't want you too close to her." Inuyasha grumbled, "I can't get over this feeling that she's going to take you away again."

"But she helped save me." Kagome tried to explain, she couldn't see Sango as anything but a friend. First she tried to save Inuyasha, then she turned around and saved her. There couldn't be anything wrong with a person like that, besides that she was nice, very nice. She had given Kagome a lot of clothes after the great escape and promised not to try and separate them again. "She promised."

"I know, I know." Inuyasha seemed very troubled, "But Sango's mind doesn't work like yours, she's very calculating." Kagome noted the weirdness of him saying Sango's mind was unlike her own, and not unlike their own. "I can't lose you again, and it seems my body has gone into some kind of over protective mode."

"What do you mean?" Kagome raised her hand to his face and cupped his cheek gently, raising his face so she could see his eyes.

"It's... it's a demon thing..." Inuyasha slanted his golden eyes away from hers in what could only have been shame.

"I still don't understand Inuyasha."

"Fuck, okay, It's like," Inuyasha began obviously disturbed by the entire conversation, "When a human male wants to be in a relationship with a female, he may feel protective feelings..." He looked at her now sharply, intensely. "But when a demon male wants to make a female their mate, they get feelings ten times as strong, urges they can't control. Like I have to keep you safe no matter what, that you are mine, that you belong to me." He stared into her eyes, obviously waiting for her to be frightened, but it never happened. She just stared at him in wonderment. "I don't want anyone to even look at you, let alone touch you. And when you're not near me it drives me crazy."

"You feel these things about me?" her voice was high and wispy.

"Well, I'm only a half demon, but yes, very much so."

"When did these feelings start?"

"I don't know, the moment I found you I guess." Inuyasha stood up, his arms falling to his sides in defeat. "I'm awful aren't I?"

"No." Kagome stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his bare torso. "Every new thing I discover about you only makes me love you more." Inuyasha was about to say how he didn't deserve someone like Kagome when there was a pound at the door that made them both jump.

"Hey you fricken' love birds we have important shit to talk about, get your butts out here!" Sango sounded annoyed and a little bubbly. Inuyasha pulled on his shirt and some pants as Kagome covered her eyes innocently. They opened the door to find Sango leaning up against the wall holding a large glass full of wine. "What took ya so long?" Inuyasha grabbed the glass from her and poured in out into the sink in the kitchen, she whined but didn't try and stop him. He grabbed the half empty bottle on the counter of very expensive red whine and dumped it too.

"Alright Sango, important stuff." Inuyasha turned to her knowingly.

"Yes yes," she mused seeming to sober up, "So you both saw the report about Kagome?" They nodded. "Don't you think it's weird how Naraku didn't finger Inuyasha? I mean, there wasn't really any proof per say but there had to have been about a thousand witnesses." The two looked at each other, this had crossed their minds. "I think Naraku is playing with you two, like this is all just a big game of keep away."

"And Kagome is the ball..." Inuyasha grinded his teeth, obviously hating the comparison of his Kagome to an object.

"What can we do?" Kagome spoke up, her voice a little shaky. The way things had been going, being back at the apartment, being so close to Inuyasha, it had felt like all that had happened had just been a bad dream.

"I still think this condo is the safest place for you to be." Sango nodded thoughtfully, it was the same decision they had made the night they had technically "abducted" Kagome. "It's a pretty good strong hold, not a lot of people can get in and out of here without your say so Inuyasha."

"Yes." he nodded, it was true they had better security here than anywhere else he could try and hide her. Not to mention Naraku having so many eyes and ears it was almost impossible to take her anywhere he wouldn't be able to immediately find her. It was like they were mice, trapped in a cage of their own design. "But we can't stay in here forever."

"Yes..." Sango echoed, what could they do? They couldn't take Kagome out of the condo without risking her being in danger, yet she couldn't stay in there forever. And that was all without even opening the can of worms that contained the fact that Kagome legally belonged to Naraku. And that they were breaking the law, something had to change, and quick.

"This is all my fault." Kagome grumbled, her fist balled tightly at her sides, "I've brought all this on both of you and there's nothing I can do but stand by and watch."

"Kagome.." Inuyasha began walking over to her when the intercom that was rarely ever used sounded by the door. He touched her shoulder encouragingly before walking quickly over to it, he pressed down a button and asked who it was suspiciously. The voice of a young boy crackled into the room.

"My name is Souta, I'm looking for my sister.." Inuyasha was about to tell the breathless kid he had the wrong floor when he said something that made Inuyasha's blood freeze, "Are you there, Kagome?"


	12. Thin Line

On a side note I've realized "Souta" is actually spelled "Sota"? My bad, I don't usually mess up on important things like names, but I'm deciding to keep the spelling as is. Hope this doesn't bother anyone too much. -Sabru.

Chapter 12,  
Thin Line

Inuyasha and Sango stared at Kagome in disbelief, "You have a brother?" Inuyasha finally spoke, his voice filled with bewilderment and some other unreadable emotion.

"**No**, I...I mean," She shook her head apparently as sceptical about the entire situation as them, "I **had** one, but he died in the womb, in the car crash that killed my parents when I was still only two." The voice crackled back over the intercom again, apparently Inuyasha had forgotten to remove his finger in all the confusion. That, or he was still frozen in place.

"Kagome? Kagome is that you? It's me, It's Souta. I'm your brother, I didn't die!" His voice was such a rainbow of emotions it was exhausting.

"No, that can't be right." Kagome took a step back, she looked like she was going to faint. "All my family is dead, their all dead."

"No Kagome, I'm alive! Please, come out!" Inuyasha answered for her,

"She isn't going anywhere, not with you at least." he was cold.

"What do you mean? We could use another ally." Sango whispered intensely to Inuyasha. He had always thought she would make a good chess player.

"Ally? Kagome said she never had a brother, you want some delusional little boy as an ally? This is probably some kind of trap set up by Naraku to lure Kagome back." He looked at his assistant like she was crazy, they could use allies, that was for sure, but not this boy. "Right Kagome?" they focused back on her, she looked like she was about to throw up. "Kagome...?" She didn't reply. Sango and Inuyasha exchanged a worried looks.

"Are you going to be okay Kagome?" Sango walked over concerned, she couldn't imagine the pain of her brother, Kohaku, dying only to be brought back from the dead in pretend to be used in some kind of sick trick.

"No, this is so wrong." She shook her head, her eyes were filling with tears. Why would anyone pretend to be her dead brother? How cruel.

"No..." a strained voiced leaked in from the intercom, "No Kagome, It's me." She looked up at the speaker, the voice that crept into the room seemed to be in as much pain as hers.

"I'll send him away." Inuyasha turned and was about to speak when Kagome grabbed his arm.

"Wait." She stumbled to the speaker, her legs just didn't seem to want to work right. "Who are you?" She demanded, trying to keep her voice strong and steady, but it came out cracked and full of hurt.

"My name is Souta Higirashi, I am the second heir to the Higirashi fortune, I'm fourteen." Kagome didn't respond so he continued, "I was saved from the car crash that killed our parents, my guardian is named Kaede, I drive a motorcycle, I go to to a private school..." Kagome's eyes opened, she hadn't even noticed she'd been clenching them shut so hard it was making her face red.

"Kaede?" her voiced was almost a whisper.

"Yes you remember her, right?" he sounded hopeful.

"Sort of, she was a maid for my parents before they passed away, she used to visit me a lot at Naraku's when I was younger. I spent a lot of time in my room...all the time actually." she paused for a moment and Inuyasha wanted to pull her close to him, to remind her that she would never have to go back to that, that he wouldn't let her, but he didn't. "She would bring me clothes, and candy and she would always tell me she was sorry that she couldn't take me home yet." Inuyasha uncomfortably realized there was a lot of Kagome's past that he had no clue about it, she lived under Naraku's roof for about fourteen years while he furthered himself in his business completely unaware, he hated it.

"Yes, she really did plan to bring you home, to bring you back to me, but Naraku.."

"Is evil." Kagome finished for him.

"Yes." Souta replied and there was a long moment of understanding, sad silence. She hadn't always thought Naraku was evil. He had been the closest thing she had had to a parent since she could remember, but she had never thought of Naraku as her father. Yes, she had lived under his roof, and he would supply her with the necessities to live, but she never saw him more than once a month, sometimes less. And when he did show his face it always felt wrong, he wouldn't look at her like Kagome was his daughter, like he actually loved her. It felt like she was just another one of his expensive paintings or vases, looked at but not touched. Only there to admire and feel pride over owning, and she hated it. As she got older locked away in that room it didn't take her long to realize why, and how much she was worth. Naraku had made it hard to figure out her past, but she had built connections in the mansion, and one of her main suppliers of information about her past had been that kind old lady who had been a maid to her parents, Kaede. Why she had never told her her brother had survived the crash was beyond her. That he was so close, why? Kagome wondered if, in trade for being allowed to see her, Kaede was ordered to keep her mouth shut. Is that why she stopped visiting? "Do you believe me now, Kagome?"

"I'm not sure." She really wasn't, there were too many unanswered questions.

"Can you see me? I'm sure you'll understand." His reply was a bit cryptic, "Or are you being held against your will by these people? Do you need me to get help?" his voice was low and serious now. If Kagome was being held against her will she highly doubted she would be able to right out say so, but she figured he was thinking she would be able to reply in a way that he might understand, some type of code. Luckily that was not the case at all.

"No, we can meet." She didn't look over at Inuyasha who she herd move restlessly beside her.

"Now?" Souta sounded excited and it made her heart jump. She slowly looked over at him, she needed to get his okay for this. It just wouldn't feel right otherwise.

"Inuyasha?" she looked up at him but her eyes only met his chest as he swooped down and encompassed her. He pulled her tightly into him and she buried her face in his chest, drying tears she hadn't realized were still running down her face on the front of his shirt.

"If this is what you need." He whispered into her ear, his voice was gruff and strained sounding and it made her feel guilty. How much trouble would she bring him everyday? How long would she make him worry about her?

"Thank you." he voice was overflowing with gratitude, she didn't know what she was going to do if Inuyasha didn't want her to meet this boy. Could she go against his wishes? She wasn't sure, and that sort of scared her. Inuyasha pressed a button on the intercom and there was a subdued beeping sound before a clicking sound of unlocking and someone opening a door, the speaker shut off. Kagome's eyes flitted to the closed door to the apartment.

"What will we do if he is not who he says he is?" Sango spoke up now, with all the excitement they had almost forgotten she was even there. Kagome was at a loss for words but Inuyasha spoke confidently, relaxing her.

"We'll deal with that if the time comes." He stayed close to Kagome who fidgeted and watched the door nervously. Sango leaned against the counter separating the living room and kitchen, she seemed to be contemplating whether she should even be there or not. Such private matters, but she was already knee deep in their situation, and she did have to look out for Inuyasha. Not to mention she had truly come to care deeply about Kagome, who in a strange way reminded her of her little brother. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, Kagome froze. Inuyasha walked slowly to the door and unlocked it, he didn't hesitate and opened it wide.

**-BANG-**Inuyasha stumbled back a few steps, his eyes wide in surprise. Kagome stared in shock and horror at the tip of a smoking black gun visible in the doorway.

"**No**..." she gasped, why? Why was this happening? Everything seemed to slow down, Inuyasha clutching his chest, stepping back. Sango's horrified expression as she started to bolt forward to catch and probably try and protect him. And Kagome, who just witnessed her worst nightmare happening right before her eyes.

"Just kidding." The boy's voice from the intercom came bubbling into the quiet shocked apartment. Souta spun the toy gun he was holding and slid it into the back of the jeans. Inuyasha stared at him in disbelief.

"Hey, I had to have a back up plan." he shrugged as Inuyasha's face turned from surprise to out right rage, his hand moved from his unharmed chest and clenched into a fist at his side. Kagome thought for sure he was going to punch him.

"So you thought you'd bring a toy gun and what, kill me with it?" Inuyasha growled, obviously not amused by Souta's little trick.

"Nah, on the way up I figured I wouldn't get very far with this thing anyways." He just smiled a playful little grin, "Thought I'd go for the shock and aw instead."

"You must be joking." Sango frowned exhaustively, she had stopped halfway to Inuyasha when she realized that he had not actually been shot and was now clutching her cell phone, obviously seconds away from calling 911 earlier.

"Yes, I was." He rolled his eyes, of coarse he got the room full of stiffs. Then they widened as if he was remembering something important. "Kagome?" he called into the room, Inuyasha had firmly stayed blocking him from entering after his little "joke". Kagome's world was still completely off it's hinges, she tried to collect herself. A joke? Who joked about stuff like that, at a time like this? Given he was only fourteen...still...odd sense of humour.

"Yes." she replied weakly.

"Can you call your guard dog off?" Inuyasha let out an unintentional low growl from deep inside his throat. This kid was so insolent, disrespectful. He really just wanted to give him a few good punches, instead, he stepped aside and let the snappy little pup into his home. He reminded himself that this was something that could potentially make Kagome really happy. This was something, like most things she wanted, that he could not buy her with money. Souta stepped into the apartment, his eyes immediately fell on Kagome and drank her in. She was wearing a black sweater that hung from just below her shoulders, it looked soft. Her jeans were tight and a navy colour and her feet were bare. Her hair was long and shiny, well brushed but a little messy in an adorable way that just couldn't be staged. She looked tired but more spirited and fulfilled than the last time he had seen her so long ago. He walked quickly across the room and almost thought the half demon at the door would tackle him from the way he was watching him, with eyes like an animal. "Kagome." he smiled and Kagome understood what his previous cryptic comment meant, she did see. He looked so much like her they were unmistakably related, his short messy hair was the exact same dark raven as hers, and his skin mimicked the pretty ivory. He was slim like her, the same delicate build. Except he was lean and more muscular, and a little bit short. And where she was told she had a young unrefined beauty, he had handsome boyish charm.

"I see." Kagome smiled at him, so this is what that her brother would have looked like, did look like. Did look like? She wasn't sure. Souta without a doubt looked like her, but just how far would Naraku go? Souta closed the gap between them very quickly and pulled Kagome into a hard hug.

"I've missed you." he whispered.

"We've never met..." Kagome replied with a little breathless laugh.

"I've seen you..." he replied sounding a bit guilty. "I saw you a few times at the mansion, but you were always out of reach."

"Just because she's in reach now doesn't mean you need to hang off her." Inuyasha's annoyed voice rippled from above them and Kagome felt Souta resistively being pulled off of her.

"Hey, we're having a touching moment here!" Souta kicked his legs, Inuyasha had lifted him a good three feet off the ground with ease.

"Not in my house your not." He smirked and set Souta down away from Kagome. "So what do you think Kagome? Is it him?" Inuyasha looked over at the boy who was glaring daggers at him.

"I..." she stared into Souta's eyes, she thought of Kaede, her parents. She had gotten a hold of a picture of her mother and father once. It was still in her room at Naraku's and she would probably never see it again, but she didn't need it anymore, because the boy in front of her looked like her father, and had her mother's eyes. "Believe you."


	13. Loyalty

Chapter 13,  
Loyalty

"Alright." Inuyasha set the boy down who immediately shot forward to Kagome again like an excited puppy.

"I knew it! I knew you would believe me!" He wrapped his arms around her and Kagome let out a surprised squeal as he lifted her up and swung her around him. She began to laugh, such a care free fun laugh, it felt good. "Let's go home." Kagome stopped laughing and pushed herself away from her brother, she only dropped a few inches to the floor.

"What?" she stared at him like he had grown another head.

"You're coming back with me, to Kaede's, our home." He stated matter-o-factually, like he was pointing out something obvious. Kagome's chest tightened, but it didn't have anything to do with what Souta was saying, it had to do with the unsettling aura she was sensing coming from Inuyasha. What was this? It felt so...threatening.

"No Souta, **this** is my home."

"What are you saying Kagome? You said you believed me." He looked at her seriously confused and slightly hurt, as if she had just slapped him.

"Souta...I do, but I won't leave here." She lifted her arm slowly motioning to the entire vast apartment, "This is were I belong." she sounded so sure and final it obviously effected Souta.

"You belong with **me**!" he shouted, his voice ringing with distress and anxiousness.

"**No**, she doesn't." Inuyasha spoke now, he wasn't yelling, but he wasn't exactly talking calmly either.

"What do you know? Who are you! I spent years waiting for her! How long have you waited?" his voice sounded so betrayed it made Kagome want to hold him close and comfort him, but would that only make things worse?

"Kagome isn't something you can buy with time." Inuyasha looked away from him, he looked too much like her seeing him in such a rage made him uncomfortable.

"Souta..." Kagome took a step towards her little brother, "We can see each other as much as you want, but I have to stay here for now..."

"Then I'm staying too." Sango and Kagome looked at him now with mixed emotions on their faces, Inuyasha only looked annoyed and flashed a look of distaste.

"This could be a good thing..." Sango mused, "He could keep an eye on Kagome while we work, protect her. We can't stay cooped up in this apartment forever Inuyasha, you have a company to run and the world doesn't stop moving for anyone." He wanted to ignore her. He didn't want to hear the obvious sensibility in her words, but of coarse it was the truth. He would throw away everything for Kagome but doing so at the moment wouldn't do her any good. It wouldn't do any of them any good, but why did he have to leave her with him? He turned away and looked at the wall,

"Yes, I agree Kagome needs protection while we work."

"Great! Call me ." Souta smirked and flexed his muscles jokingly.

"Fantastic." Inuyasha grumbled and stepped over to Kagome, his face immediately changed as he got close to her, it relaxed yet his body tensed. "Will you be okay?"

"Of coarse." She smiled up at him, "I'm not going anywhere."

"We'll see." Souta coughed and turned around admiring the large apartment. Inuyasha shot him a dangerous look but Kagome pulled him down towards her, she pressed her lips against his. "So leave alrea-" Souta's words dropped off mid sentence as he turned around and watched his sister lock lips with the older hanyou. Inuyasha's dark golden eyes shot over to met with his, a tiny smirk formed on his lips underneath Kagome's and he pulled her close to him. "KAGOME IS MINE." was written across his face. She broke off and hugged him tight before stepping back, she hadn't even seemed to notice Souta was watching them intently. Kagome was glad the goodbye kiss seemed to extinguish some of Inuyasha's worries as he went to the bedroom to change, he returned shortly in a nice black suit and Sango fallowed him to the door.

"I'll stop by my apartment to change and we can meet at the office, don't wait for me to get there start on the backlogged work immediately when you arrive. Our staff can do a lot of the work on their own but their are certain things that need our president's tending to." Sango hummed around him, her work switch seemed to be flipped on again.

"Yes yes..." Inuyasha waved her off and opened the door after slipping on a shiny pair of black shoes and his coat. He looked back, not taking his eyes off Kagome until the door closed behind them and she was no longer visible. He didn't have the heart to say "Goodbye", it just felt too possible.

"She'll be fine, he's her little brother." Sango comforted her distressed boss, he tried to hide it but she could read him like a book. "He'll listen to her, he yearns too much for her approval not to."

"I'm not so sure." Inuyasha mumbled in thought as they stepped into the elevator.

"What do you mean?" Sango flipped her long black ponytail out of the back of her coat as she asked.

"I don't know Sango, I just have a bad feeling." Inuyasha punched the elevator button for the first floor, his voice irritated.

"Kagome is strong now, she can take care of herself." Sango voice sounded sure. Inuyasha didn't reply, he was feeling too uneasy to truly agree, he didn't even know if he liked the idea of Kagome being strong enough to take care of herself.

"SO can we escape now that the guard dog is away?" Souta stepped up to her reaching out his hand, offering it to take hold of her's and take her away from here. The only problem being that leaving this place was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.  
"Souta please." Kagome rolled her eyes and messed up his hair with her hand, he looked up at her in surprise and blushed.

"H-hey.." he mumbled but didn't brush her away. She giggled and grabbed his hand pulling him to the couch.

"Let's watch a movie Souta." He sat down on the couch beside her, she picked up the remote and began searching through the millions of channels for a good movie. He watched her, she was exactly how he thought she would be. She was already acting like they had known each other since they were kids, she accepted him so easily, kind, compassionate, beautiful, she was perfect.

"Thanks Kagome." His voice was quiet and meaningful. Kagome turned to look at him and smiled back.

"Thank **you** for finding me Souta." She leaned over embracing him, "I love Inuyasha with all my heart and Sango is great but I've been lonely." Souta grew rigid, she loved him? That old half demon?

"You've got to be kidding me." his voice was harsh and sarcastic, "That hanyou?" Kagome let go of him and sat back.

"Souta..." was he worried he was going to lose her to Inuyasha?, "My feelings for Inuyasha don't change my feelings for you."

"No Kagome you don't understand. **I hate demons**." Souta looked straight into her eyes, his face was dead serious.

"What?" Kagome looked at him confused, where had this come from? Hate demons, why?

"I hate them, all of them. Their awful creatures, scum."

"Souta demons are just like you and me, there is almost no difference between a demon and a human other than unimportant physical traits."

"Don't say that! Demons are different!" Souta shot up and leaned over her, Kagome sunk back in the couch. "A demon stole my sister from me once, and I'm not letting it happen again!"

"Souta.." Kagome whispered, his chest moved back and forth as he breathed deeply and his eyes were dark with hatred. "You're wrong."

"Why...? How can you love a demon after what their kind did to you?" He stayed posed above her, it made her uncomfortable but she didn't break their eye contact and she spoke without hesitation.

"I won't hate Inuyasha for the mistakes Naraku made." His eyes widened then closed as he leaned down and rested his head on her shoulder.

"You make me sound petty."

"You're just confused Souta." she rested her hand on his head, "It's okay, I'm here now." She lifted his face so that he was face to face with her, "I'm here now, alive, because of a half demon." He stared at her in silence for awhile, drinking in her words.

"He saved your life?"

"Yes, but more importantly he gave me a reason to live." he didn't speak for another couple of minutes before standing up again and turning around.

"I owe him for that, but I still don't like him, or his kind." Kagome breathed deeply and sighed, this was something she was going to have to work on, but despite his flaws. She still truly cared about Souta, this only strengthened her belief in her brother.

"Make an exception for Inuyasha, for me Souta." he turned around and looked down at Kagome, her face was a silent demand. His defeated appearance made her heart quietly ache, what could she do? "Come here," She patted the spot beside her again, "Let's watch this." She picked up the remote she had dropped during the excitement and flipped to a movie with a lot of action. Souta seemed interested right away and sat down beside her, they watched the movie for the next hour and a half with almost no more interruptions other than to comment on what a bad idea something was or how one character was definitely going to die before the show ended. They laughed and Kagome got up to make popcorn, she loved being with Inuyasha but this was a different kind of fun. When she was with him it was intimate and playful, but with Souta it felt carefree and boisterous. She was so glad her brother had returned to her. After the movie ended they watched another, and another, and another until time was lost and Kagome knew Souta entirely. They had talked during commercials, Souta had told her all about his childhood and school life. They laughed about the pile of work Souta was going to be in for when he returned and Kagome chattered about how glad she was of being free from the tedious homeschooling that where thrust upon her back at the mansion and confided in him that she had never had any friends. He promised to introduce her to his as soon as he got the chance. "I'd like that." She smiled and kissed his forehead. His face turned a light pink as he grinned back at her.

-katchik- The front door unlocked and a form quietly slipped in before closing and locking it behind him, Inuyasha turned around. "Oh you're still here?" he poked at Souta before slipping off his shoes and dropping a big briefcase on the computer desk. "It's late, shouldn't you be asleep Kagome?" Kagome looked up at the clock for the first time in hours.

"Oh," she was surprised that it read 4:00 am and almost wanted to get up and check to see if it was working right. "I didn't notice." She began to get up but Souta grabbed her wrist stopping her.

"You follow orders?" He looked up at her cripplingly.

"I'm tired Souta, let go." he didn't but Inuyasha stepped forward and leaned over the couch towering above him, his long silver hair slipped over his shoulders concealing his face from Kagome but Souta got a good private view.

"Don't touch her when she doesn't like it." his voice was sensible but his eyes were fierce, Souta let go of Kagome's wrist returning Inuyasha a sour look.

"Kagome never dislikes my touch, she loves me." the boy spoke confidently and Inuyasha stood up.

"That remains to be seen." Kagome hadn't heard their exchange, as soon as Souta had released her she had moved across the room. She turned around now,

"Is it alright if Souta stays the night Inuyasha?"

"Feh, it's fine." he grumbled and walked to the bedroom, "But he sleeps on the couch."

"The couch loves me too..." Souta mumbled hitting some of the cushions and fluffing a throw pillow up. Kagome didn't really understand Souta's remark but laughed,

"Will you be fine by yourself?"

"I'll survive." Souta glanced back at the bedroom door, taking note that Inuyasha was still standing in front of it watching them.

"I'll bring you a cover and a pillow." She smiled and hurried over to a closet in the hallway pulling out a fluffy comforter and feather stuffed pillow, only the finest in his house of coarse. She placed them at the end of the coach and gave him a little wave, "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded and watched her bound off to Inuyasha's bedroom, it made his blood boil. She entered and Inuyasha closed the door behind them, he considered momentarily killing Inuyasha in his sleep, but Kagome would never accept him again if he did that, and honestly he was no murderer. Thought the idea seemed very tempting at the moment.

Inuyasha turned around as Kagome changed into a pair of short pyjama shorts and a tank top that had a fat yellow chick on the front. She crawled under and covers and burred her face in them as Inuyasha stripped and pulled on a pair of flannel pyjama bottoms, he left his top bare and crawled onto his side scooting over to her under the blankets.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome mumbled quietly as Inuyasha burred his face into her neck.

"Mmmm.." he purred wrapping his arms around her waist.

"S-Souta," she breathed.

"Is exactly why I feel like this." Inuyasha growled protectively pulling her closer to him.

"What do you mean?" her voice was shaky from the numb tingling she was feeling in her neck as his breath brushed against her skin.

"I told you Kagome, how I feel about you." he lifted his head and kissed her cheek gently, "How protective I get." Kagome took a moment to gather her thoughts, it was getting increasingly harder to think straight.

"But Souta is just a kid, my brother." There was no reason for Inuyasha to feel threatened by him.

"He may not feel how I feel towards you but he still loves you and wants you for himself, men and boys alike are selfish. Do you understand?" she could see his golden eyes through the darkness, they said even more than his words. She didn't have to choose between them...did she?

"I won't." she turned to lie on her back and stair through the darkness at the ceiling.

"I know." he whispered wiping away a tear from her cheek he had no way of knowing was there, "I know..."


	14. Snow Day

Chapter 14,  
Snow Day

"Mmmm..." Kagome mumbled and reached her arm out across the bed beside her, it landed in a pile of fluffy covers. She felt around and frowned before opening her eyes. "Inuyasha?"

"He left already." Souta's voice came from the hallway behind the closed bedroom door. She wiped the groggy leftovers of sleep from her eyes, she had forgotten Souta had stayed the night. Rolling out of bed she opened a drawer and pulled out a t-shirt and jeans, she stripped and pulled them on before dumping the clothes she had slept in in the laundry basket and opening the door. She was about to step out but stopped as she noticed her brother sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. She gave him a puzzled look.

"I haven't been here long." he dismissed the subject and got up brushing off his pants, "Have a good sleep?"

"Yes.."

"What?" he looked at her annoyed.

"Nothing..." she trailed off yawning.

"Your hair is messy." he pointed out and brushed a particularly horizontal spot down with his hand, he had to stand on his tip toes to reach the top of her head.

"Yeah, well it's not like I'm going anywhere..." Kagome giggled, her laughter trailed off into an uncomfortable silence.

"We could..." Souta coughed after a few minutes of quiet.

"Souta, it's early, just don't..." Kagome began,

"But we could! I'm just saying, no one is here to stop us."

"And by no one you mean Inuyasha?" Kagome frowned at him, why did he have to act like Naraku was just some excuse for Inuyasha to keep her trapped here. That's not how it was...

"Whatever, maybe, that's not important," Souta moved his hands around a lot, "Don't you want to go out?" Kagome squinted her eyes at him slightly,

"Of coarse I do."

"Then let's go!" he motioned to the door excitedly and she almost started running with him. She stood her ground instead and took on a serious tone,

"Souta, seriously it's not safe, this isn't a game."

"You're right about that, games are fun." Souta kicked the air childishly and glared right through his sister, "I thought a girl who had enough guts to escape a demon once wouldn't be caged again so easily." Ouch, Souta knew just where it hurt the most.

"This isn't a cage, this is a home."

"You don't belong here, other than your clothes, which aren't even really your clothes. What in this condo reflects that you even spend time here everyday? Where are your things?"

"You know where my things are, and I think their better off left where they lay."

"The worst part about this cage is you don't even know you're in it, at least with Naraku..." he trailed off as he noticed his sister's face go dark. "I'm sorry..." She paused,

"What can I do to get you to give up on all this jail break talk?"

"Can we at least take a walk in the lobby?"

"Then we can come back and find something to do in the apartment?" Kagome tried to compromise.

"Fiiiine." Souta sighed exasperatedly but then smiled, "Alright, let's go." he felt like he had won some small victory and hurried to the door pulling on his shoes. Kagome fallowed him and pulled on her own boots, it was still early December and although there wasn't too much snow it was cold. She grabbed her coat and fallowed Souta out the door, who was already halfway down the hall by the time she locked it behind her.

"It's just the lobby Souta, I fail to see what is so exciting..." She narked at him, she knew he wasn't excited about the place, just the principal of it all.

"Hurry!" He winked at her and pulled her into the elevator, they stood in silence for a couple of minutes until the doors opened and they stepped out into the warm slightly stuffy lobby.

"So.." Kagome mused staring at the same boring scenic paintings and lamps, a few nice leather chairs and a fake plant or two she had seen more than enough times before.

"Wait for it..." he grinned and Kagome jumped as something fast and spherical slammed against the glass of the front doors. She thought the glass was going to break as another came flying and echoed the bang of the first. The lobby attendant nearly jumped out of his seat as a third splattered on the window closest to him. Snowballs, she thought moronically staring at the wet white clumps slowly sliding down the glass. Kagome glanced down at her little brother for some kind of conclusion.

"You wanted to make friends right?" He smirked at her, an earnest, well meaning smirk.

"I don't fancy hooligans as friends." She spoke up in the most snobbish, hoitty toitty voice she could manage.

"Aw come on Kags, I called them here just for you." He smiled at her, a real smile this time and she felt herself finally losing the battle.

"Just...a quick visit, okay?" She sounded worried and nervous, but she couldn't tell if she was feeling this way because of the rules she was breaking, or the friends she might be making.

"Sure." Souta agreed in a voice Kagome figured he had used on Kaede a million times. A voice that would agree to anything if it got him what he wanted, but obviously flaunted there was no guarantee that he would keep up his end of the bargain. She gasped as they stepped out into the cold, and very bright outside world. It was surprisingly sunny for such cold weather, and the light reflected off the smooth, thin blanket of snow momentarily blinding her. She squinted and when things finally came into focus four people had appeared out of nowhere, right in front of her.

"Hey Souta!" they made a ruckus and tackled her brother away from beside her.

"Get off me!" He yelled playfully and tried to push them away.

"No way! You might run away again!" A girl with short hair nuggied him.

"Yeah you can't just leave me with these girls Souta!" an older boy laughed, "Seriously."

"We're not so bad!" The other two girls pitched in and pushed the boy over knocking him into a large drift of snow.

"H-hey!" he grumbled rolling over and grabbing one of their legs knocking them down as well onto a puddle of icy slush, she squealed as she fell.

"Dam you!" she grabbed a handful of the dirty slush and lifted her hand up, ready to throw.

"No no! I give, I give!" The boy cringed back guarding his face.

"Too late!" She growled and tackled him trying to shove the slush into his face, he held her hand away at arms length struggling because of the gravity advantage she had over him.

"You guys, seriously." Souta clapped his hands like a teacher calling his class back to attention, "We're on a mission here." The three immediately snapped to attention, the girl dropped the melting handful of slush onto the boy's coat, who didn't even seem to notice.

"Yes Souta, shall we commence the plan?"

"Begin plan commencing as of immediately." Souta ordered in the most phoney commanding of tons.

"Yes, sir!" they chimed and suddenly reappeared in front of Kagome.

"Uh, hi." She mumbled as the four stared curiously at her like some kind of weird science project, was she a fettle pig in a jar?

"Hey." the three girls said all at once, which was only a tad weird to behold because they looked like they could be triplets, if not for their different hair styles. "We're, Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka, nice to meet you." Eri had short straight black hair, and she wore a yellow head band, Ayumi had long wavy hair black hair she parted in the middle and Yuka had short dark brown hair that was cut in a cute bob no different from a boys. They smiled at her and Kagome was relieved to see they smiled differently as well, Eri had a warm smile, Yuka was energetic, and Ayumi was a bit nervous, not unlike her own.

"Guys I told you not to do that triplets thing, it freaks people out, and you're not even related." Souta sighed, having weird friends wasn't easy, but it was fun.

"H-hello, pleasure to make your acquaintance." Suddenly the older boy had become very quiet and a bit bashful, Kagome smiled back at him which only seemed to make him fidget more. Much to his gratification she didn't seem to notice.

"So you guys go to school with Souta?" She questioned, eager to learn more about them all, and her brother.

"School, the lunch room, the park, the arcade..." the girls each added a new place one after the other like they were telling a story together.

"The bathroom.." the boy added in and then looked embarrassed again, "I mean like, at school, not like..." he coughed and scratched the back of his head looking worked up and awkward.

"Calm down Houjou, what's up with you today? You're usually so level headed." Souta elbowed him in a very boyish manner. "Come on let's go somewhere warmer to regal the tales of our youth to my sister." They all rubbed their hands together remember how cold it was, and Yuka brushed off her skirt suddenly aware of how damp and cold the slush and snow had made her.

A bell hanging above them jingled as they pushed open the door to a warm little coffee shop and ventured inside they rubbed their arms and cheeks trying to ride the cold from their bodies.

"Nothing cures the cool weather blues like some hot chocolate." an older gentle man behind the counter sang to them in a melody not unlike the jingle they had just heard from the bells above the door. He had greying hair that matched his faded grey sweater and he was wearing a dark blue apron with a snowflake pattern, his smile was sincere. All of them nodded at once and sat down at a small booth in the corner of the store, the closest to the heater they could get. Eri , Ayumi, and Yuka piled into one side like it was second nature and Houjou, slid in awkwardly fallowed by Kagome and then Souta.

"So you're the fabled sister..." Eri seemed to awe at Kagome from across the table.

"Uh..." She seemed uncomfortable under her intense gaze, "I guess..yes, if you want to call me that."

"Leave her alone Eri, she's my sister, big deal." Souta sniffed and shrugged acting overall nonchalant.

"Big deal? Ha, don't act so smooth Souta." Yuka grinned at him, "When we were little Souta would go on and on about his fantastic older sister."

"Yeah, none of us really believe you even existed, because we never saw you." Ayumi admitted a little guilty, "But Souta would tell really great stories about you, about how nice you were, and how pretty..." she trailed off and they all stared at Kagome for a minute who looked at the table blushing a light pink, the fact that she had never even known Souta was alive weighed heavy on her in that moment.

"And here you are!" Yuka cheered joyfully breaking the intimate silence, "Who would have ever thunk our little sister-fibber to be telling the truth all along?"

"So you can't call me that anymore." Souta grumbled from beside Kagome, she wondered just how much he had endured to keep her alive in his life and wanted to give him a great big hug, but feared further teasing and contained herself to a slight smile at him which he caught out of the corner of his eye and returned.

"Well he did tell the truth, all of it, especially the part about how pretty you are." Houjou piped up beside her, his hands tightly folded in his lap. Kagome glanced over at him and her cheeks went rosey again. The three girls across the table gave each other knowing looks.

"Houjou is actually older than we are, we're all fourteen, same as Souta, but Houjou is actually seventeen. It might seem weird for him to hang around kids so much younger than him but we all grew up together, so even though we weren't in the same grade we stayed really close friends." One of the girls from across the table suddenly added and Kagome absorbed the random burst of information on the boy sitting beside her, seventeen huh? Only one year older than her, no wonder he was so much taller and mature looking compared to his friends. Inuyasha was five years older than her. Souta glanced over at Kagome who had suddenly gotten quiet and Houjou who kept stealing glances at her. Suddenly he didn't like the seating arrangement, he was about to get up and come up with an excuse for Kagome to switch spots with him when their drinks arrived.

"Hot cocoa for six, on the house." he smiled at them and placed the tray of drinks on the table, slightly melted marshmallows floated around as hot steam swirled up from each cup.

"Thank you!" all of them swooped and grabbed a cup, Souta slowly grabbed his own and took a quiet sip.

"OH!" Kagome gasped and almost slapped the mug out of Souta's hands.

"What?" He looked over at her surprised.

"It's so hot! What are you doing, you're going to burn yourself!" She was a little panicky but was subdued as the rest of the group burst into laughter. She looked at them confused and still a little frazzled.

"You didn't know? Souta never lets anything cool down, doesn't matter how hot, he'll consume it as soon as it arrives." Eri marvelled blowing on her on drink.

"I could never do that." Ayumi shook her head blowing on her drink as well

"I tried once, didn't want to let him show me up, burnt my tongue for a week." Houjou admitted warming his hands on his mug. Kagome laughed, her brother was so weird, yet amazing.

"It doesn't hurt at all?" she enquired interested.

"Nope, it's no big deal, I like it hot." he shrugged and the rest of the group giggled exchanging "I bet you do"s and "that's what she said"s. "Shut up." he grumbled at them in a playful manner and took another sip. They continued talking, Kagome learned in a very humerus way all about Souta's childhood and school life. It seemed he got into quite a bit of trouble with or without his friends but they were always there to back him up in the end. He was a smart kid and did well in school, despite never really applying himself, and excelled in sports.

"You really hit the sibling jackpot with this one, he's a real "star" as the adults call him, despite his bad disposition." Yuka winked at him and Souta stuck out his tongue, obviously embarrassed and not used to being praised so much by his friends.

"And all the girls at school just L-O-V-E love him." Eri giggled and the three girls clasped hands, "We are the self proclaimed Awesome Super Hydro Mega Suplex Souta Body Guard Trio, otherwise know as the A.S.H.M.S.S.B.G.T, or S.A.G.P.S.F.G , Super Alliance of Girls Protecting Souta from Girls." They looked proud and Souta sunk back in the booth.

"Their still working on a name, but I hope to have the group disbanded before it's finalized."

"Is the group free to new members?" Kagome looked at them smiling evilly.

"Really?" They squealed with delight, "We'd be honoured!"

"The name might need some more work though...what comes after a trio?" Eri mused.

"Something like a quadrathingy..." Ayumi offered.

"It's a-" Kagome was about to clue them in on a group with four people being called a quartet when Souta stopped her.

"Please don't encourage this." He looked grumpy but his scowl couldn't completely cover the hint of a smile tinting his features.

"We can't get Houjou to join..." Yuka pouted, "Do you think you could, Kagome?"

"I'd join if Kagome was in the group." Houjou didn't hesitate and the five stared at him for a moment before the trio of girls broke out in triumphant cheers once again defusing the interesting statement. Kagome tried to hide how nervous she was feeling around Houjou suddenly, he was a very handsome boy, in a way that was obvious and very university. He had short brown hair and strong, caring eyes. She wasn't exactly attracted to him but he wasn't off her radar either and it made her feel uneasy and the booth very constricting.

"I'll be right back." She excused herself and Souta gratefully let her out of the booth, taking her spot up beside Houjou. He was going to have a long conversation with him when he got the chance.


	15. Away From Home

Chapter 15,  
Away From Home

Kagome stepped into the small public washroom, she really had no other need to be there except to escape the increasingly awkward situation outside. She stared in the mirror, appraising herself. Honestly she wasn't anything special, yes she knew she was pretty, but she thought it was a pretty average. She had the same long dark hair as the other girls, she could see she was still too skinny and it was a horrible reminder of her past. She stared at her face, soft pink lips, big brown eyes. Did guys really like these little things so much? She touched her small chest and sighed. She definitely wasn't anything special. Suddenly her thoughts drifted to the man that had made her feel like she was something special, Inuyasha... What was she doing here? The door opened and the three familiar girls piled into the washroom behind her.

"So...that was a little, awkward." Yuka coughed now looking at her own reflection. Kagome laughed nervously.

"It's alright, we approve." Eri and Ayumi winked at her and began to mess around with their own hair.

"Oh, thank you I'm very flattered but I sort of have someone..." She trailed off, It felt weird away from the apartment, away from Inuyasha, their relationship felt so...intangible, and it scared her. "I love him." The girls stopped adjusting themselves and stared at her.

"Tell us everything!" They cooed swarming here and she began to laugh overwhelmed by everything.

"He's a lot older than me, but he can be so childish! He's stubborn, and strong headed. And gets heated up so easily." she started to fume but instantly cooled, "He's so cool, like a super hero, he's saved my life twice, he's seen me at my worst and truly cares about me, for me." Her little posse swooned and giggled.

"He sounds dreamy." Eri twittered.

"Is he hot?" Yuka grinned.

"H-how far have you gone?" Ayumi stuttered and blushed madly.

"Ah, well...haha.." Kagome suddenly felt very shy towards these girls she was barely starting to know, "I love him, that's enough for now." She gave them a mysterious wink.

"Come oooonnn!" They trilled together.

"So you like Kagome don't you, Houjou?" He stared over at Souta with a shocked expression that sobered quickly.

"That obvious, huh?" He looked down shamefully.

"It would have been less obvious if you had just asked her to marry you over your hot chocolate." Souta prodded at him, he was trying to keep the conversation light but his voice sounded a bit edgy.

"I apologize Souta, that probably wasn't cool, her being your sister and all."

"You think?" Souta glared at his cooling drink, "I mean I just got her back and already every guy that sees her is trying to take her away."

"I-I didn't know..." Houjou stared at his drink as well.

"I'm just sick and tired of it."

"I'll back off... are we cool, Souta?"

"Ya big idiot." Souta punched him in the shoulder.

"But I can still ask her out right, in the future?" Souta was about to turn around and punch his best friend in the face when the girls reappeared at the table beside them and Souta dropped his fist to his side. Weren't best friends supposed to just know rules like this, that sisters were off limits? This was bad, Houjou had never crushed on any girl before but he definitely seemed like the type to fall in love at first site. Fuck, he smiled up at the girls, "Are we done here?"

"Yup, let's go get some lunch." his three friends smiled down at him and it warmed his heart to see Kagome squished up between them like she had always been there. They said goodbye to the nice owner and headed back out into the cold, freshly warmed inside and out.

"So what are you craving Kagome?" Houjou asked contently and Souta had to suppress the urge to punch him again.

"Well..." Kagome wondered what everyone else might want, it was hard to try and chose for a group of six people.

"Let's just grab some stuff from a convenience store and head to the park!" Yuka cheered.

"It's too cold, let's hit up McDonalds." Eri responded rubbing her arms.

"No, not feeling it, can't we go to someone's house?" Ayumi wondered out loud and everyone turned to Souta.

"Why is it always **my** house?" he glared back at them, he hadn't wanted to return home till he had convinced Kagome to come live with him.

"I'd like to see where you live." Kagome spoke up now, slightly enveloped by his friends loud personalities.

"Fine." he responded and he pulled out his cell phone and called them a cab. His friends cheered and went on about how grand her brother's house was and how well stocked the kitchen always was. Apparently raiding his fridge was not uncommon and it made Kagome laugh. She could tell Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, and Houjou were friends with Souta for more than his money, they were good honest people, but they definitely weren't shy about enjoying the perks. Which in a weird way she could tell her brother enjoyed, because honestly, what was the point in having money if you didn't have friends to enjoy it with? It didn't take long for the taxi van to get there, and they piled in, the three girls glued together in the back, Souta and Houjou together in the middle section and Kagome upfront with the driver. Kagome had tried to start a pleasant conversation with the grumpy looking balding man a few times but he seemed more preoccupied with the three loud teenage girls making a ruckus in the back of his vehicle. He could hear Houjou and Souta talking behind her in hushed tones but couldn't make out what they were saying over the roar of giggles behind them. She still wasn't sure what had gone on between them but when they arrived at a very traditional looking, very grand house Souta was in a fowl mood and Houjou looked a tad irritated and guilty. She stared at Houjou questioningly as they stepped out of the van and he smiled at her as some kind of reassurance but her brother was oddly distant. He paid the man who took off quit abruptly and led his guests up to a very regal looking gate. He pulled something from his pocket and the gate beeped before opening, they walked in and it closed behind them. The group hurried up a deceptively long walk way before arriving at the front door, Souta opened it and they fallowed in behind him, all hush hush as if they were entering some kind of museum. The girls were oddly quiet as they all padded through the home wearing guest slippers, it felt like awhile before they finally reached the kitchen. Kagome tried not to be stunned by it's beauty, but everything in the house was just magnificient. Wood, lots of wood, the floors, the beams, the furniture and even some of the counters. The entire house was simply art and it felt weirdly nostalgic. Eri, Ayumi, Yuka and even Houjou who seemed a little more self contained than the girls at most times descended upon the fridge. They laughed and pulled out some random stuff, generally just making merry and having a good time of it. They still seemed to keep a tad quieter than normal which made Kagome a bit uneasy. What in the world could possibly contain these crazy kids? Souta took advantage of the moment and grabbed his sister's hand, pulling her back out into the hall and into what seemed to be an entertaining room.

"Kaede spent a good amount on this house, out of her own money presented to her from our parents when they passed." Souta explained in a very delicate manner, choosing his words carefully, "She had thought that we would like somewhere to live not unlike our original home." Not that he had ever really lived there, just momentarily when he was a baby.

"What happened to our home?" She remembered, the faintest swift memories of the two years she lived in that house with their parents. What she could remember, which wasn't much, did bare a striking resemblance to the house they were in now. A banister she had slid on, held safely in place by the arms of her strong father. A creaky wood floor board she had bounced on till her mother had bribed her with candy to stop. She had promised herself a long time ago that she would cry about her past life no more, but she was dangerously close to breaking that promise now. How her heart longed for something she couldn't even remember anymore, people she couldn't even remember anymore.

"It burned." he replied simply, they could never go home. Kagome stared at him in shock registering the exact same thing.

"And the land?" She didn't bother asking, how, or why. It didn't matter, it was gone.

"Still yours, when you come of age that is." he confided in her, "There are quit a few properties, I am told, that are yours." Kagome had no idea, she new her family had been wealthy but to just what extent had been completely hidden from her. She thought back to when Inuyasha had offered twice her inheritance to Naraku to free her, it was unbelievable. She now found herself wondering more about Inuyasha's company, what was it called, what did it do, how large was it that he could possess that much money? Why had she never cared to know his before? She had been so taken with Inuyasha she was blind to everything else, everyone else, she felt immensely foolish.

"I had no idea." she marvelled at how closed minded she had been for so long, only wanting out of Naraku's grasp she felt she didn't have a very good handle on the world anymore.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Souta wondered nervously if maybe he had presented too much to his sister too soon.

"I feel silly." Kagome replied laughing in an odd manor, "I feel like a baby, depending on others and completely unaware and uncaring of everything outside myself."

"That's not true Kagome," Souta took a few steps towards her and grabbed her arms gently, somewhat steadying her as she swayed uneasily on her feet. "You are kind, you care about the important things in life, you care about how people are feeling, not how much money they have." She stared into his dark eyes, searching the brown pools that mirrored her own, "That doesn't make you ignorant, Kagome, it just makes you who you are." She didn't know if who she was was a good thing or not, he could tell his sister still felt uneasy so he tried to reassure her with his next words, "It makes you kind, Kagome, compassionate, caring, and it makes you my sister, and I wouldn't have it any other way." When had Souta become so mature? At that moment, her fourteen year old little brother was reassuring her in who she was and it amazed her.

"I'm so lucky, to have a brother like you." She smiled at him and bent down, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Yeah, you are." he replied smugly but hugged her tightly back, hiding his face from her as not to betray how nervous he was really feeling in that moment.

"What's going on here?" Yuka questioned, her voice rivalling even Souta's in smugness.

"Que awkward interruption." Eri giggled admiring their precious family moment.

"How long have you been there?" Souta grumbled slightly worried they may have witness Kagome's slight break down, of no fault of her own, she was under inhuman amounts of stress and finding things out about herself she had never even know. He wondered if he himself could have even taken it as well as she had and doubted it.

"Well we got here just in time to see you guys share a loving embrace." Houjou noted with just a barely audible note of jealousy to his tone.

"Ahem..." Souta coughed and him and his sister removed themselves from each other taking a step back, "So what about that food?" He tried to desperately change the subject, he wasn't exactly someone known for his affectionate personalty, it was just different with Kagome.

"That's why we came to get you, we made super yummy sandwiches!" Yuka bounced up and down full of enthusiasm. Kagome found herself wondering if these girls ever ran out of energy, even at their age, which had only been about two years ago, she had never been so...go-lucky. Then again she had never really had reason to.

"I found some ice cream in the freezer too." Houjou added as if his contribution was just as important.

"Yeah that must have been a lot of work." Souta joked but something about the way he said it made it obvious him and Houjou were still not on good terms. Kagome kicked herself for not asking him what had conspired in the car ride over when she had had the chance. They all walked back to the kitchen and gathering the food up, which was a surprisingly large amount for the time they had been away, and moved to the dining room. Everyone sat down on a pillow on the floor, because there was no proper table and chairs, and fallowing the obvious theme of the house their was a very short table for them to place the food on.

"I love eating on the floor." Yuka mused randomly sprawling out on her tiny pillow, "There's something humbling about it."

"That's actually pretty deep for you." Souta marvelled at his friend, who usually only spouted complete nonsense.

"Hey I can be deep! I'm very intellectual!" She fumed puffing herself up with mock outrage.

"Oh pardon me miss, I did not mean to offend one as worldly as yourself." Souta swept as deep a bow as he could manage sitting legs crossed, sounding very upright and humble indeed.

"I shall consider bestowing upon you my forgiveness, after you have tasted the work of my sweat and blood." Yuka motioned out gracefully with her hand to the table in the middle of them, on which sat a few plates of sandwiches and some cut vegetables.

"As you wish." Souta concluded picking up a sandwich and taking a big bite, "S'good." he mumbled very unintelligently through a mouthful of food and everyone laughed and began serving themselves. The three girls were educating Souta, who apparently was a terrible cook, on what was inside each morsel and how they had made it. Houjou took the chance to strike up a conversation with the apple of his eye.

"So Kagome, which high school do you go to?" the question seemed harmless enough but Kagome almost choked on the sandwich she was eating, school was definitely the last thing on her mind but it made her feel as if she had missed out on something very important in everyone's life. Just looking at her brother, chatting with his friends in such a familiar way, it was obvious she had missed a lot of things.

"Uh, home schooled." she admitted embarrassed.

"Oh, that's interesting, may I ask why?" Houjou did not relent and Kagome fumbled for an appropriate response.

"I was very ill, all the time really." She lied as smoothly as she could to the very interested boy sitting across from her. "Could never leave the house." that part was true, at least.

"That's terrible," he sounded completely sincere and compassionate for her, and it made her feel guilty. "I'm going to become a doctor, my top choice of university has accepted me and I'm going to be entering my first semester come September." he sounded very proud and it made Kagome wish she herself has such a dream to be proud about.

"September, that's quite a bit off, what are you going to do until then?" she decided to try and change the subject, she could see in his eyes that he was already trying to figure out what had ailed her to keep her at home, if it still ailed her, and how he himself, could cure it. His intense concern for her made the guilt worse, and she immediately regretted her lie, but what could she do now?

"I know this juice that's really healthy, I'll get some for you next time I get the chance." he offered and Kagome nodded embarrassed to be so caught up in a lie of her own creating. "As for what I am doing to occupy myself until then, I'm volunteering at the local hospital not far from here."

"Wow." She was honestly, very in awe of him at that moment, he really was as caring and nice as he seemed.

"Yup, Houjou is a real saint." Souta smirked at him from the head of the table and the girls stopped trying to shovel more sandwiches into his mouth.

"Souta is less than...encouraging of my endeavours." Houjou admitted smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of his head.

"Who could be against someone healing people?" Kagome asked incredulously, the question directed at her brother.

"I'm not against him helping people, I'm against how he feels the need to help everyone. Like everyone has some ailment only he can cure." Kagome sensed there was something deeper going on here, what was up with these two guys all of a sudden?

"I never said only I could cure it, only that I would like to try." Houjou shot back at him, obviously embarrassed about this sudden personal attack.

"She doesn't need your help." Souta replied perturbed, getting onto his feet.

"That's not your decision to make." Houjou replied calmly but obviously agitated and got up as well. The two guys glared angrily at each other until Yuka clapped her hands and everyone looked at her.

"Thanks for the meal!" she announced and pushed Eri and Ayumi towards the door, "Are you coming as well Houjou?" Houjou glanced over at Kagome quickly before returning his steely gaze to Souta.

"I'd like to talk to Souta a bit more before we leave, do you guys mind waiting for me at the entrance?" They nodded at his request and turned their attention to Souta, they obviously were not picking sides.

"You gonna be alright champ?" she asked concernedly but upon receiving a nod from him continued out the door with her gal pals.

"Nice to meet you Kagome." Ayumi bowed politely, "Hope to see you again soon."

"It was really fun." Eri smiled and they all waved before leaving the room and quietly heading back to the front door.

"Do you mind giving us a minute Kagome?" Souta's face relaxed for a minute when he looked at her worried expression, "Just some guy stuff." She didn't want to leave her brother, nor Houjou who had been so kind and caring to her. She also wanted to know what they had been talking about before, who they were talking about but she recognized the time was not right just then to press for information and walked out of the room, absentmindedly looking for a bathroom.

"Like I said on the ride over here Houjou, Kagome doesn't need your help." Souta stated determined once he was satisfied his sister was out of hearring range.

"It doesn't take a medical eye to see your sister isn't healthy, why shouldn't I want to help out the sibling of my best friend?"

"I wouldn't mind so much if that was really your only intention." Souta's eyes narrowed at his best friend, he hadn't know him for all these years for nothing. He seemed air headed, and carefree, but there was a lot more to that calculating doctor mind than he let on.

"So I'm also interested in her in a romantic way, It's not a big deal Souta." Houjou frowned at him, offended by the way he made him sound so...conniving, his motives really were pure. "You're blowing this out of proportion, you're not her father." Souta flinched at his last words.

"Someone has to look out for her, It's a brother's duty." he answered confident that his over protective feelings were not misplaced.

"You're going overboard Souta, one day she's going to get a boyfriend." he sounded reasonable now, like he was simply trying to give sensible advice to a patient, "Wouldn't you prefer it be me, someone you know and trust? Someone who can take care of her?" Souta registered his words and almost started laughing, would he prefer that? Houjou, his best friend, a human, over the half demon Kagome was currently infatuated with? He didn't know the answer, he didn't want to know the answer, and it didn't matter because he simply wouldn't accept the answer. He didn't think there was a man or boy in the world good enough for his sister.

"It doesn't matter Houjou," Souta decided to just break the news to him, he was hopping that his best friend would simply back off because he didn't consent, but he was so headstrong when it came to love. "She loves someone else already." His friend's expression changed to one of surprise and dread.

"Really? You wouldn't make something like that up, right Souta?" He seemed so crestfallen Souta almost wanted to tell him it was a lie, almost.

"No, she really does love him." He hated to say it, like he actually acknowledged the fact. "And you're right, she's not as healthy as she should be right now." Souta would never say it out loud, but he worried about her health not only physically, but mentally. Just how much could one teenage girl take before breaking? She was definitely past the limit of most. "But the last thing she needs is another guy pinning for her attention."

"I...understand." He replied unwillingly, "She seems like she's been through a lot...you too Souta."

"Yeah." Souta replied unyielding, but feeling the comfort of his best friend, the way he should be acting, the way he normally acted, made it hard to stay mad at him.

"I won't press any further," he promised, "At least not in that way, I'd still like to be there for her, and you."

"Thanks, she could use some friends right now." Souta nodded at him, he had wanted to share his friends with Kagome. That was the initial reason behind all this in the first place. If only she wasn't so beautiful maybe she could have more friends and less admirers.

Kagome sneezed making herself stumble again through a long hallway, she had been peeking into rooms looking for a bathroom. It was surprisingly hard in this interesting house. None of the rooms where really where you expected them to be, and Kagome quietly wondered if maybe the odd layout of the house was due to Kaede's old age. The thought made her laugh, her quiet giggle echoed quietly through the building.

"I haven't herd that laugh in a very long time." a gravely but gentle voice reached her from down the hall. Like everything about the house, it was mysteriously familiar.

"Hello?" Kagome called out into the empty, open air.

"Come child." the voice came again and Kagome instinctively fallowed it down the hall and around the corner, she pushed open a door to find a women with long grey hair pulled back in a white bow, a white blouse and long red skirt sitting in an old rocking chair in a room that appeared to be a nursery. She marvelled at the room, almost everything in it was light blue. The women didn't raise her head from her knitting but acknowledged her presence, "It's been a very long time, Kagome."

"Kaede?" Kagome enquired, almost instinctively running to her lap but instead stood at the door.

"Yes child," she put her needles down and slowly looked up at her, "I have missed you." Kagome gave in to the urges she hadn't felt since she was a child and collapsed on the floor beside the rocking chair and buried her face in the familiar ocean of red fabric. She didn't say anything for a long time for she feared the tears would escape her before the words. Kaede spoke again, her voice was sorrowful, tinged with guilt she had had to live with for many years, "I failed you."

"No." Kagome pushed her face into the soft fabric deeper, "No." She didn't want to hear it, the reason why Kaede, the only person she had loved since her parents death had stopped coming to see her. Why she had stopped loving her, and abandoned her in a world that was so dangerous and uncaring.

"No apology will ever suffice," Kaede recognized this, "But still, I am sorry, so sorry." Finally the question that had been eating away at her burst forth,

"Why?"

"I would not have if there would have been any other way my child," Kagome felt Kaede's hand brush her head lightly and she immediately wished Inuyasha was there, she wanted to retreat into his arms. She wanted to stop reliving the past, but she was stronger now, and she needed to know.

"What did Naraku do to make you give up on me?" This was the only conclusion, Naraku had done something, said something to make Kaede abandon her. Like he had made everyone abandon her, so that all she had left was him.

"He threatened to kill Souta." Kaede's voice cracked and Kagome almost thought the older woman would start crying herself but she cleared her throat and continued, "I loved you, I had watched you grow for two years, tended to you when your parents were away. I thought of you as much my grandchild as any of my blood." She wished so dearly that this had been the person to raise her, what a different person she would have been under the loving care of granny Kaede. "He needed you, for the inheritance, but he didn't need Souta. In fact Souta was actually an obstical, keeping him from even more money." She kept her voice steady but Kagome could tell this was a frightening truth she had had to live with everyday of her life, and she would, until Naraku died or Kagome freed herself from him. In short, until the ties of the Higurashi inheritance and Naraku were broken Kaede would fear for Souta's life every second of her's. "I never wanted to choose, I wouldn't...but.." Kagome placed her thin hand on Kaede's knee comfortingly.

"You did the right thing, I never would have been able to live with myself if Souta had been killed just so you could pursue gaining custody of me." Kagome now actually felt grateful to Kaede, for Souta was the silver lining of her horrid past. "Thank you for raising him so well." Kagome gazed at a pile of knitted pink yarn beside her as Kaede quietly sobbed into a little pink scarf that eventually joined the pile. Kagome wondered just how many years she had been knitting it.


	16. Forgotten Feelings

Chapter 16,  
Forgotten Feelings

"Kagome?" Inuyasha stepped into his quiet apartment and stared through the darkness at an empty living room. He didn't need to turn on the light, his demon eyes were enough to see that nobody was there, she wasn't there.

"What's wrong Kagome?" Souta turned off the television and glanced at her, he'd been especially concerned about his sister since he found her in his old nursery with Kaede, both of them quiet and faces stained with tears.

"It's dark out." She noted gazing out the window, she hadn't noticed the sun going down until now, "We should go home."

"Kagome, we are home."

"Maybe if things had been different.." Kagome didn't want to admit that the thought of living here, in this house that felt like home with the only family she had left was more than tempting her, "But not now."

"That's cruel." Souta looked away from her and glared at the wall. He felt like this was a fight he was never going to win. Kagome sighed and got up, she didn't want to hurt her brother but this was getting hard to deal with. When was he just going to accept her being with him?

"I have to go."

"I'll call us a cab."

"Us?" She smiled at him and he rolled his eyes before smiling back.

"I'm not giving up yet." This time Kagome rolled her eyes as her little brother pulled out his cell phone and ordered them a ride. He wished he hadn't left his motor cycle at Inuyasha's. They said goodbye to Kaede, Kagome gave her a tight hug, before putting on their shoes and coats and stepping out in to the cold night hair. She watched her visible breath spiral up into the night as they walked back down to the gate.

"Do you think Inuyasha will be mad?" Souta suddenly asked. She hadn't thought he cared about Inuyasha at all, let alone what he could be feeling.

"I guess so..." She answered truthfully. "Probably."

"I'm sorry..."

"There's nothing for you to apologize for." Kagome laughed, "I chose to come out with you."

"Yeah but If I hadn't asked you too..."

"I probably would have ended up leaving the apartment eventually, you know how I don't like to be caged up." Kagome gave him a mischievous smile and he seemed to lighten up a bit.  
"Yeah." he agreed, "You always reminded me of a bird."

"A bird?" Kagome asked curiously almost tripping over a crack in the old cement.

"Yeah, like a pigeon." He laughed and nudged her making her almost trip again.

"A pigeon!" she chuckled and flapped her arms slightly, "Being a pigeon wouldn't be so bad." Souta looked at her, she was nothing like a pigeon. More like a pretty dove, Souta wondered if there was ever a dove with black feathers. He unlocked the gate and let Kagome through before closing it behind them.

"You'd make a good pigeon, those big curious eyes." Souta pulled out the pockets on the black jacket he was wearing, "Stop looking at me like that I don't have any bread crumbs for you..." Kagome almost pushed him over.

"Honestly, I prefer french fries."

"I'll keep that in mind." He laughed, the thought of luring a black dove back home with him by leaving a trail of french fries made him chuckle to himself as a bright little yellow cab pulled up in front of them. They didn't talk much on the ride home, both quietly dreading the impending doom.

The door of Inuyasha's condo creaked a little as Kagome pushed it open, she had left it unlocked because she hadn't expected to be in the...lobby so long. Not that it mattered, nobody came to the top floor anyways and if Inuyasha was home he would have locked it. The thought of getting away with sneaking out for the day and returning so late made her nervously excited, but the butterflies in her stomach immediately dropped dead when she stepped inside and saw who was sitting on the couch, apparently waiting for her.

"Inuyasha..." she spoke quietly and Souta glanced around her at the lounging dark figure. He didn't respond and it made Kagome's stomach flip flop. What could she tell him, could she lie? She knew she wouldn't.

"Don't blame her." Souta stepped around his sister and flipped on the lights, they blinked for a few seconds getting used to the change but Inuyasha just kept glaring at them.

"I don't blame **her**." his voice was as cold as his gaze.

"You should." Kagome tried to step back in front of her little brother but he stuck out his arm keeping her behind him.

"Can we talk alone." Inuyasha demanded, annoyed at Souta's apparent need to protect her from him when he was the only one who seemed to want to keep her safe. Despite Souta's uncomfortably obvious body language Kagome nodded quietly and passed by him and fallowed Inuyasha into the bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind them Inuyasha walked to the window and brushed aside the large curtain, he slid open the glass and stepped out Kagome almost began screaming. She ran to the window but stopped at an open doorway, the black out curtains had always been drawn so she had never noticed there was a big balcony just beyond them. She stepped out as well and shivered in the cold night air.

"What are we doing out here?" Kagome asked stepping to the rail and looking down at the empty streets below.

"Come here." Inuyasha stretched out his arm and Kagome looked at him puzzled, she walked to him and placed her hand in his. He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. Kagome let out a little squeal as he picked her up and swung her onto his back. "Hold on." he smirked and stepped up onto the rail of the balcony Kagome let out a terrified cry,

"What are you doing! Have you lost your mind?" She buried her face into his long hair and tightened her grip around his neck.

"This is going to be harder if you're trying to choke me." Inuyasha chuckled and climbed over the side, he let go and shivered as Kagome clung to him in fear. They landed on the balcony bellow his and he didn't hesitate before jumping down again and again, from balcony to balcony until they were on the street bellow and Kagome was glued to his back. "You can let go now." he smiled when Kagome made no movement to release herself from him.

"Demons really are different.." she gasped staring up at the balcony that belonged to Inuyasha, it was just a small rectangle from way down there.

"We are, is it bad?" Inuyasha pulled her around his body so that she was in his arms again and she laughed.

"Not at all, it's amazing! You're amazing." She kissed his cheek and he shot her a charming smile. "But..." she looked at him confused.

"We're going to Sango's tonight." he told her and began walking to his car, Kagome still in his arms.

"Sango's? Why?" she asked staring up at him feeling more out of the loop than ever, he didn't respond so she pushed herself away from him and stepped down lightly on the snowy ground. "Inuyasha, why are we sneaking out the balcony in the middle of the night and running off to Sango's apartment?" He grudgingly looked down at her,

"Because my apartment is a little too crowded lately." Inuyasha answered annoyed.

"Really, this," she motioned to the balcony way up at the top of the building, then to the sidewalk, and then to themselves, "All this, is about Souta?" Inuyasha paused for a minute, thinking.

"Yes." He finally replied, quit frankly. Kagome was about to ask him why but she felt the question was obvious and stupid, she felt stupid. Like always Inuyasha was just trying to protect her, even from herself.

"I'll go with you." She answered in a subdued defeated tone. Inuyasha straightened at her response, Kagome had been so stubborn lately what had brought on this placid attitude? He didn't know, but he liked it. He reached out his hand to her and for what felt like an eternity, she finally trusted him again, and took it.

"Kagome?" Souta's voice rung in her ears, she turned and stared up at the balcony He was just a small figure but she could imagine the surprise, hurt and confusion on his face as he leaned over and stared down at them.

"Let's go." Inuyasha pulled gently on her hand towards his car which was already running, she wondered how long he had left it going, waiting for her to come home. For the first time since Souta had shown up on her doorstep she found herself actually wanting to be alone with Inuyasha again, not out of duty or other questionable thoughts and feelings Souta and spurred inside her. No she just wanted to be near him, to see his face and hear his voice. Why had she started to fight this so much? It felt so good. She looked over at him and smiled. She smiled despite the pain she would soon be giving her little brother, despite the pain she felt herself, because this love was just so intoxicating.

"Alright." she whispered and he opened the door for her as she slowly stepped inside. She tried to drown out the sound of Souta calling out her name, over and over and over again. She almost couldn't take it anymore but then he was there again as he revved the motor and they took off, and the pain was numbed by the comfort of his hand.


	17. Moment Off the Map

Chapter 17,  
Moment Off the Map

The car ride was so peaceful, they didn't talk much. Inuyasha had never been a big talker...but his actions spoke so much louder than words ever could. He did however seem very concerned about her, which made her feel like the most important girl in the world. Inuyasha would glance at her, touch her arm or her knee, sometimes brush a hand through her hair. Every time he took his hand off the steering wheel to do so she felt excited chills throughout her body. The car came to a sudden halt and Kagome took a minute to absorb her surroundings, because for the past twenty eight minutes the world outside the vehicle hadn't existed to her.

"I wonder why there is traffic so late at night.." Inuyasha mused but oddly enough it didn't seem to bother him.

"It's not moving at all is it?" Kagome laughed, they were definitely at a stand still. She didn't mind either though, because this was the only real alone time they had had, or would have, for some time it seemed. Inuyasha stared at her intently, his seemingly entire focus taken completely off the road. "Looks like we're going to be here awhile.. what should we do?" She asked innocently, there was something in his eyes that was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Inuyasha leaned forward and Kagome braced herself, "Here he comes!" She thought. She reopened her eyes to the sound of the heater being turned up.

"You're not cold, are you?" Inuyasha enquired as he sat back. Honestly, at that moment she felt both cold as ice and intensely warm, but she would never admit that to him, not out loud at least.

"I'm fine." She smiled, "Maybe a little cold, thank you." He seemed pleased with his intuitive actions and continued to gaze at her. She felt his eyes on her skin, as they swept over her neck line and hovered on her lips. "Inuyasha..." Kagome breathed, Inuyasha's demon ears perked and twitched at the sound of her bewitching voice. "Kiss me."

"Is that an order?" he smirked that deliciously cocky grin of his but leaned forward without hesitation. Before their lips met Kagome grinned back,

"Yes." And there it was, she only had to ask for it and she could feel this feeling, the most wonderful feeling in the world. She completely surrendered to him, feeling his lips against her own was almost more than she could take. She felt his tongue playfully, yet forcefully slide against her bottom lip and she let a tiny gasp escape her. Her senses were overwhelmed but that moment of weakness seemed to set a fire inside him and he kissed her more passionately.

"Kagome." he whispered her name and she felt him kiss down to her neck, her arms moved all on their own and entangled themselves into his long silver hair. She had never felt so good in her entire life, what was he doing to her? It didn't matter where they were, she had missed him so much, she didn't want him to ever stop. A loud noise shook her from her compliant state, she opened her eyes and stared out the window at the moving traffic around them. Noisy car horns filled the air like a garage symphony.

"Inuyasha.." she breathed heavily trying to cut through the intense feelings, "The cars are moving."

"Let them move." he almost purred and continued gently kissing her neck. She felt her knees go weak as Inuyasha moved his hands across her body.

"If someone sees us..." she groaned quietly, grasping the back of his shirt.

"Then they will know I'm the luckiest guy in the world." he smiled and kissed her again. "No no no no..." she thought, this was so hard... why did she have to be the sensible one? She didn't want to be sensible, not today. Sango unexpectedly popped into her head,

"What about the press, Kagome? What about Inuyasha's future?" Beneath her closed eyelids her eyes rolled, to heck with the press...to heck with... She sighed and opened them again, of coarse she couldn't think that.

"Inuyasha," she sighed and moved her hand through his air, "We have to go..." He wrapped his arms around her and burred his face into her neck.

"Don't want to." he nuzzled her ear with his nose and she tried not to give into him again.

"Come on, It's dangerous to just stop on the road like this." It was true, cars were honking and racing around them hazardously and Inuyasha seemed to only notice this now. He looked as if he wanted every other person in the world to just disappear as he pulled himself away from her, his hand lingering on her cheek for a moment before returning to the steering wheel. He waited for the perfect moment and with a swift movement they were back in the moving traffic, a few minutes later they saw that some sort of accident had held up the cars but everything was moving smoothly again and by the looks of things no body had gotten too hurt. Once they had passed it didn't take them long to arrive at Sango's and Kagome found herself wishing they had somewhere to be alone.

"Let's go." Inuyasha parked the car and got out, he walked around and opened Kagome's door for her and offered his hand to her, she grabbed on and they didn't let go of each other as they walked to the condo building.


	18. Suffocating Love

Chapter 18,  
Suffocating Love

"I don't know what to do Sango.." Kagome confided in her older friend. They had shown up on her doorstep only a few minutes before. For reasons beyond her, Inuyasha and Miroku despite their polar opposite personalities had always gotten along. Sango had urged them to take their time and catch up, when they were in the living room watching tv and chatting. She had then taken the opportunity to steal Kagome away into her bedroom.

"About what? I have some questions of my own." Sango pressed, "Inuyasha's "don't worry about it" wasn't exactly relieving. Not that I mind, but why are you here?"

"Inuyasha just sort of swept me away from the apartment and..and Souta." Kagome exclaimed, "He grabbed me and jumped off a balcony!" she couldn't believe what had happened herself, it sounded crazy coming out of her mouth even now.

"A balcony? That idiot! You guys could have gotten hurt..." Sango fumed clenching her fists, "He thinks he can just go around flaunting his strength, there are laws against that for a reason! Nobody saw you right?" It was common knowledge that humans and demons had always coexisted on this Earth, sometimes more roughly than others. So certain laws came to pass to keep the piece between everyone, but even now certain people remained ignorant. Human and Demon differences where not unknown, but Kagome had been very sheltered.

"I don't know..umm...Souta might have.." Kagome tried to think back, all she could remember was the blur of white snow, the exciting chill in the night air and Inuyasha's strong back pressed hard against her chest as she clung to him.

"You're brother.." Sango mused, "He wouldn't...?"

"No," She replied without hesitation but then faltered a little bit, "No..?" Sango could see the doubt on her face and it made them both anxious.

"Inuyasha can't take much more from the press, although a groundless accusation from some teenager shouldn't hold very fast the papers are really grabbing at straws now, since we've laid low for so long." she shot a deadly glance at the closed door as Inuyasha's voice roared up in laughter for a minute.

"I know the laws exists, the ones forbidding demons from reasonless demonstrations of power...but are they that serious? It's not like anyone got hurt.." Kagome pressed, demons could use their power to save lives, do hard labour, anything that would be positive to the structure of the world but anything only for them, including inhumanly jumping from balconies, was pretty much against the law. How unfair, and yet it kept everyone, especially the humans, safe.

"They're very serious, the demons holding fast the the belief that they are the superior race, like Naraku." Sango offered as an example even though it made them both shiver, "Are ruining it for every one else, the humans get panicky and make sentances more severe in some kind of unsettling power struggle." Sango sighed, the world was just getting uglier and uglier, "And it's not just the humans, certain demons in power want to keep the other demons and even humans in check too." Sango rubbed her arm, "But their not all ugly politics, some people just want to keep everyone safe. How easy would it have been for Inuyasha to raid every apartment on his way down? Like a sliding door could keep him out." Kagome had never though of it like that, in that light it was quit frightening, and yet it still felt wrong to suppress his talents. Could their ever be a fair solution?

"I'll call Souta." Kagome offered trying to calm her friend who passed her her cell phone.

"Do that." She tried to smile back but her eyes were a flutter with panic. She watched Kagome intently as she dialled Souta's number.

"Souta..?" Kagome's voice came out a lot weaker than she had intended, she could only hear heavy breathing on the other end of the line. She tried again, "Brother?"

"Where are you?" He choked out between pants.

"Why are you so out of breath? What's going on, Souta?" She was worrying herself now, he wasn't already on his way to the police office to report them was he?

"You're asking **me **what's going on Kagome? Seriously!" he gasped at her in a odd sounding voice, "I'm going insane! I just keep riding around in circles! I don't know where to go, where to find you!" He revealed as his raspy voice cracked, he had always known where to look in the past, he hated this more than anything. "Why did I come back **here**? I know you're not here anymore, and still!"

"I'm safe Souta, calm down." she tried to sound reassuring but she could tell her brother was out of it, "Go home."

"You're my home Kagome, why don't you understand that?" he answered, his voice quiet. Kagome almost dropped the cellphone as a loud screech of tires rang into her ear.

"Souta? Souta!" She called into it but there was no answer, the line went dead.

-beep beep beep-

Kagome's hands started shaking as she stared at it, she quickly dialled Souta's number again but it was unavailable. She stared at Sango, she couldn't speak or move she was in utter shock.

"We're going to find him, come on Kagome." Sango pulled Kagome up off the floor where she had lost control of her legs and slumped down. She had herd the screech and new something terrible might have happened. It wasn't a good sign that his cell was unavailable. "Inuyasha, something might have happened to Souta, we're going to find him." Sango explained in very little detail and Inuyasha stared at her.

"What?" he stared at them shocked.

"Kagome was explaining to him what was going on and it sounded like their could have been an accident." She wanted to avoid the obvious for Kagome's sake but this was no time to be worried about feelings. The young girl trembled beside her at the truth of her words.

"You've got to be kidding me, that kid is just trying to get some attention from Kagome, and you're both falling for it." He answered coldly and turned back around, apparently uninterested.

"That could be one outcome, and the other could be a lot more serious. I only hope that you are right." Sango scorned, this was no time to play guessing games.

"How could you say that Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled at him across the room, "If I wouldn't have left this never would have happened!" She shivered and clutched her hands at her sides, the thought of losing him again was too painful it almost made her throw up.

"Are you blaming me?" He turned around and eyed her carefully.

"Not everything is about you Inuyasha!" She lashed out and hurried to the door pulling on her boots and jacket, "He said he was where I used to be, that could only be one place." Kagome grasped at the only idea of where her brother could be, it wasn't much to go on but it was all they had.

"No." Inuyasha jumped up and was in front of her now, blocking the door.

"Move!" She screamed and pushed at his chest, he didn't budge at all.

"How can you even think of going back to Naraku's?" His body was like a statue but his face was flashing a pained expression, "You're acting insane!"

"**I'm** crazy?" Kagome roared and stamped her foot in frustration, "He could be dying and you want to take chances!"

"How much do we really know about this kid? Remember when he pretended to shoot me? Was that real?" He tried to reason with her, he had never wanted Souta to make such an impression on his Kagome but if he would have tried to prevent it she wouldn't have listened anyways. He longed for Kagome to need him again the way she used to, but to need him like she had she would have to be sick or in danger, and he rather have a healthy safe Kagome hatting him. Than a sick or dead one loving him. He would do what he had to to keep her safe, always. Her face cringed at the painful memory, losing either of them felt unbearable.

"I would go if it was you." she mumbled into his chest, her arms weakly pounding against it.

"I wouldn't ask you to." He grabbed her face and raised it to his, "If it would put you in danger, I'd rather you leave me to die."

"How can you ask me to leave my brother to die?" her voice was barley audible. He stared at her, tears streaming down her face, her brown eyes so full of pain it felt like he was being stabbed.

"I'll find him." He promised and turned, "Keep her here, please." He pleaded with Sango.

"Inuyasha.." Kagome begged, "Please let me go." she felt so weak in that moment, so powerless against his will, she couldn't leave even though she wanted to. She felt the familiar suffocating entrapment of her past and it frightened her to her core, she felt her flight instincts take hold but before she could make a break form the door the man named Miroku, who had seemed so carefree and kind before was holding her arms. "Inuyasha!" She screamed, not holding back her voice, or the intense hate she felt for him in that moment.

"I love you." He whispered to her, a sad understanding smile on his face as he closed the door behind him. Things were never going to be the same between them, he had done the same thing to her as Naraku. For different reasons, but it didn't matter. She would hate demons.


	19. Held

Chapter 19,  
Held

"Let me go!" Kagome kicked Miroku and yelled angrily, Sango had gone with Inuyasha and left her. Everyone had left her when she was the only one that really cared about Souta. She wondered if Inuyasha found Souta dying, if he would even try to save him. Wouldn't it be easier for him if Souta just disappeared? "No.." she cried and her body heaved, "I'm going to vomit." She told Miroku who seemed to hate holding her as much as she hated being held.

"Ah jeez!" He flustered and as soon as his grip loosened she was across the room and pawing at the door, why were men so much stronger, so much faster? Miroku was there beside her, his voice was comforting and gentle but his grip was firm and she hated the feeling of him holding her against her will.

"Miroku let go of me." She demanded turning to him, this was stupid, they were people and they were acting crazy. Was he really going to keep her here like some kind of kidnapper? No way.

"I can't let you go Kagome, I only know what Sango has told me but If I let you go you will be in danger, and will put everyone else in danger." He scolded her as if she was a little girl who didn't want to go to bed.

"You're trying to protect Sango.." she read between the lines.

"Yup." He answered bluntly, "She's really strong, my woman, so when I can I have to do what I can to protect her, and you."

"We don't need protecting, I have someone I need to protect."

"Seems we have a conflict of interest, let Inuyasha help your brother, he can do more than you could." His words stung her, what could Inuyasha do that she couldn't? Sure he was faster, stronger...but..Souta needed her. She needed him.

"I'm just so scared.." Kagome turned to him and placed her hand on her chest, it was worth a try. "What will I do if I lose my little brother?" She tilted her head down and looked up at him getting intimately close, she remembered Sango telling her about Miroku having a weakness for cute girls once. She didn't personally think she was cute and she hated herself for even thinking about doing this, but hell, she would try anything right now.

"Ah, of coarse." he seemed flustered for a moment before composing himself again, "Don't worry, I believe in those two."

"I feel weak.." Kagome pretend to sway and faint slightly, Miroku caught her in strong, worried arms.

"Do you want to lie down?" He asked concerned and Kagome felt guilty and very silly, there was no way he would ever think of anyone but Sango, especially not her, Sango's immature sixteen year old friend. "Here, let me help you to the spare room." he offered and Kagome let him cart her towards the bedroom. Was it just her imagination or was his hand on her hip dangerously low? She tried not to think about it, she had to distract him for her plan to work.

"Ohh.." she swayed dramatically and fell towards him, pushing them towards the closet. His back hit it with a light clatter of the wooden door.

"Y-you okay?" he cleared his through as she innocently leaned her body against his, he tried not to think about the pretty girl breathing heavily against him. Her chest rose and dipped dangerously with every inhale and exhale.

"Mmm.." she murmured and held on to him, he didn't notice at all as her hand slid behind him and grabbed the handle of the closet. She was very pretty, and very young, and very tempting, but...he loved Sango and his skirt chasing days were long gone. He closed his eyes and tried to support her away from himself.

"Hey, hey Kagome come on. Let's get you to bed and I'll make you something to eat." He offered and she was relieved, Miroku was a very handsome man but she was terrified. Every minute their bodies touched was uncomfortable and alarming and made her want to run away, and as much as she hated Sango right now she didn't want to hurt her either. Although if he was coming to his senses she had to act now, she pulled the handle and the door slid out from behind Miroku and out to the side, with her weight pushing against him he tumbled backwards unexpectedly and hit his head against the wall.

"Oww, fuck.." he grumbled and she quickly scrambled off of him, "Kagome?" Miroku mumbled as darkness enveloped him and he realized the closet door had been shut. For a minute he thought she was inside with him and the door shut by itself but then he herd a clacking noise and realized the latch on the outside had been locked, he began to understand what had happened. "You sneaky minx!" He laughed despite himself, but then got serious. "Please don't do this."

"You did what you had to to keep the person you love safe, now I'm going to do the same." she turned.

"What about Inuyasha?" Miroku tried, she loved him right?

"If he knows me at all, he knows I'll always get away." She answered and left the apartment. She could hardly walk, what was all this? A terrible dream maybe, she tried to make herself move faster but it felt like her body was slowly freezing over and becoming numb. How could she ever face any of them again? They had become just like Naraku and his cronies, well...not exactly, but close enough that it hurt and scared her. Would she end up back in that alley? She blinked as some black spots formed in her vision, she blinked again but they didn't go away. Her body swayed as she reached the stairs, where was the elevator? She couldn't remember...she rubbed her head, she felt way too warm and her hand returned very damp. Kagome gathered herself and opened the door to the staircase, she looked down. It swirled and swirled and swirled, all the way down. She felt dizzy and everything went black.

Inuyasha and Sango sat in silence as the street lights passed over them momentarily lighting the car and their grave features.

"You should have stayed, Sango." Inuyasha remarked keeping a steady foot to the gas.

"Miroku's not going to do anything." Sango answered unconvincingly.

"Even so, she doesn't even know him and she's a mess right now." He scolded her bad decision.

"Oh yeah? Then maybe you should have let her just go with us!" She turned on him, she'll be dammed if she lets the king of terrible decisions lecture her.

"Feh, we're going right to the demon's nest and you want me to let her walk right in to that? For all we know this has been his plan all along."

"Will you cut that out? I think it's pretty obvious by now that Souta is just some stupid kid going about getting his sister back in all the wrong ways." Sango raged at him but he ignored her, or at least tried to pretend like he was concentrating on driving. Naraku's dark mansion came into view and Inuyasha had to hit the breaks with all his strength and swerve the car to the side making them both jolt around dangerously to avoid hitting something in the road he had just barely seen with his sharp golden eyes. He got out of the car while Sango was still reeling and ran up to the figure in the road that hadn't moved even when seconds before it was almost hit by a car.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded half outraged, half concerned.

"My phone.." the boy didn't look up at him, and continued to stair at the unrecognizable broken pieces of what was once probably a shiny black cell phone.

"Looks like it got ran over." he pointed out plainly. "Get over it."

"Get over it? Get over it!" He finally turned and glared up at Inuyasha unbelievably, "That was my only line to her, without it she can't contact me!". It was true, Kagome didn't have a cell phone so they only way they could talk was if she found a phone and called him. Like he suddenly realized who Inuayasha was he moved forward and his eyes tensed, "What would you do if you didn't know where she was?"

"I'd find her." he answered honestly.

"No, you'd chase your tail around like the goddam mutt you are!" he yelled at him harshly, "Like you could find her if I couldn't, if you hadn't been the one to move her, you'd be as lost as me. No, more lost, like you were today!"

"I wouldn't give up because my cell phone broke!" He growled immaturely back, he knew he shouldn't let it affect him but his words felt like punches. "Sit in the road like some lost child."

"I was waiting." he retorted.

"Yeah, waiting to get hit by a car." Inuyasha returned and Souta flinched.

"I wasn't trying to die or something, if that's what you think."

"Well that's what it sure as hell looked like."

"I bet you wouldn't even let her attend my funeral!" he hissed and turned away, Inuyasha felt mad, annoyed, stupid and immature. This kid was only fourteen and here he was accusing him of attempt suicide and secretly wishing he could have just put him out of his misery. What was he turning into?

"I'd let her go...to your funeral, I mean." he mumbled dumbly and Souta's shoulders slumped, his defence going down slightly.

"How about I not die, and she come to see me alive instead?" he mumbled still not looking at the older guy behind him.

"Even if I said no, she's going to." he answered truthfully and his own broad shoulders fell exhaustively, "She thought you got hit by a car."

"What?" Souta turned around and searched Inuyasha's face to make sure he wasn't making it up, "Why would she think that?"

"Gee, I don't know, maybe when a car ran over your cell phone mid conversation." He pointed out half harsh mockingly but the younger boy ignored him processing the information.

"Why didn't she come herself?" He sounded hurt, but there was a suspicious undertone and Inuyasha knew he knew he had done something to prevent it. Careful words now he thought...

"I said it would be too dangerous, what with this being Naraku's house." Inuyasha pointed to the gloomy uninhabited looking building behind them, "Seriously, what were you thinking?"

"Sometimes, I think Naraku would have been better than you, at least she would have wanted me to save her from him." He admitted ashamed. "But then I think about how much she smiles with you and.."

"And?" Inuyasha pressed, maybe this kid was smarted than he looked.

"And then I hate you more." he answered sticking out his tongue, maybe not.

"What the hell was that..?" Sango groaned finally hulling herself out of the car and onto her tall black high heels. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, just him." Inuyasha shrugged over at the young boy with black hair and sharp brown eyes standing in the middle of the road with him.

"Souta!" She expressed and ran over to him pulling him into her arms, his mouth gaped open in surprise.

"Uh, hi." he hadn't really met this woman before, he saw her once but...why did his well being mean anything to her?

"Come on we have to get you to your sister, she's going berserk." Inuyasha shot her a look and Sango furrowed her brow confused, why weren't they getting Souta back to Kagome as soon as possible?

"She's going berserk?" Souta looked up at the tall woman, his full attention on her.

"She's exaggerating." He tried to get a handle on the situation, "She's a little worried, yes."

"Doesn't sound like that." Souta narrowed his eyes at Inuyasha, "Stop lying to me, what did you do to my sister!"

"Why am I the bad guy?" Inuyasha groaned hating the entire situation, "Kagome's safe, you're safe. That's all we need right now, now go home and I'll let her know you're okay."

"You really think Kagome will just take your word for it?" Sango hurtfully pointed out, apparently uncaring of his feelings at the moment.

"Good point, should I take her a finger or tooth or something?" He joked darkly.

"Nice." Sango rolled her eyes and turned back to Souta who was trying to fallow their conversation and fill in the blanks. "Can you imagine her face when she sees him okay? Can you?" She smiled at the thought, such relief.

"Then I'll take a picture for her..." he mumbled digging into his pocket for his cell, he pulled it out and aimed it at where Souta had been standing, he frowned when he couldn't see the boy around anywhere, Sango either. He herd his car engine rev and sighed "Right back to square fucking one."


	20. A Fleeting Mind

Chapter 20,  
A Fleeting Mind

"Who's there...?" Kagome murmured.

"Shhh.." a calming voice tried to sooth her.

"Inuyasha...don't, don't touch me." She responded, trying to push him away.

"It's alright, I'm here now. Everything is going to be okay." He continued unfazed by her weak arms pushing away from him he picked her up with ease. Kagome tried to see through the fog in her head as she was lifted off the cold cement floor but it felt like a dense smoke,

"Is Souta..." she found herself at a lost of words.

"Souta is fine." he responded with no hesitation.

"Really?" she tried to open her eyes but a throbbing in her head made her close them again.

"Yes, now go back to sleep." the voice cooed. She didn't want to, her head felt like it was on fire. She couldn't focus at all, it felt like it was burning away her senses. If she fell asleep now would the fire encompass her? Why wouldn't he help her? She could feel a warm liquid flowing down her neck, it felt like the fire was flushing out her mind. She hid the most important things away, a safe place from the fire before blacking out.

* * *

"Miroku!" Sango yelled out into her empty apartment, "Where are you!"

"The closet!" He called back urgently. Sango hurried over and unlatched the door, her boyfriend burst out. "Are you okay?" He looked her up and down and hugged her tight.

"What are you talking about? Me? Are you okay?" through the confusion she hugged him back, it felt good to be in his arms again. Inuyasha walked into the apparent fallowed by Souta,

"Where's Kagome?" he stared at both of them, Sango returned the gaze to her boyfriend.

"She got away..." he admitted ashamed, "She locked me in a closet, and ran off." Everyone stared at him in utter disbelief, this had to be some kind of joke. Any moment Kagome would jump out of one of the bedrooms and yell "Surprise! Tricked you!" and everyone would laugh. Inuyasha breathed in deeply, taking in every sent in the apartment. No, it was true that Kagome wasn't there anymore. He turned around and pushed his way past Souta who seemed to be in a state of shock. He fallowed that scent, her sweet scent out into the hallway.

"The staircase?" He thought confused and opened the door. As soon as the door was unlatched his senses were under heavy attack. Inuyasha stepped back from the overpowering smell of blood. His ears flattened and it took him a moment to gather himself, he couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he bent down to the small puddle of red liquid on the floor. He touched it before slowly pulling his hand away and clenching it until he wasn't sure if the blood on his fingers was from her or himself. "Kagome."

"Where is she?" a scared voice came from behind him, he turned around to see Souta standing in the door way.

"Come with me." Inuyasha ordered pulling the boy out of the stairwell and back into the apartment.

"I found blood on the stairs, when Kagome was escaping she didn't cut herself or anything did she?" Inuyasha questioned Miroku. The room was filled with shocked faces, Miroku fell back on the sofa in their living room, his face an unreadable mess.

"No." he answered in what can only be described as the ghost of a voice.

"Then she may have been attacked as soon as she left this apartment alone." Everyone continued to stair at him utterly stunned. He was the one who should be petrified, but he didn't have the time. "In the stairwell her scent was muddled by her blood, and by another person." He went on to explain, there wasn't a lot the other people in the room could do, but just saying it out loud was helping him work through everything, including the numb feeling that was taking him over. "I recognized the smell of rotten earth..."

"Naraku has her?" Sango spoke like it was a question but everyone knew the answer.

"Where?" Souta cried, Naraku could have taken her anywhere. Was he ever going to see his sister again? Inuyasha was quiet for a long time.

"This was all a game." he finally spoke, his voice was slow and even.

"What?" Souta looked at him confused, he wiped the tears out of the corners of his eyes.

"Naraku never involved the police, even though he had legal custody of Kagome." Inuyasha seemed to be explaining it more to himself than to any one else in the room.

"What are you trying to say?" Souta demanded.

"This is all a game to him." Inuyasha turned around, his back facing them, "Lose Kagome, catch Kagome, lose her again...catch her again. He could have had her back, and us arrested, anytime he wanted but instead he let us keep her until he.." he trailed off and Souta took up his train of thought.

"Could take her back himself, he wanted to win his twisted game without any help! Where would Naraku put Kagome simply to flaunt that she was his again..?" Souta continued, "Somewhere where we could still see her, but where she's not within our grasp." Inuyasha turned around and met Souta's intelligent eyes. "A metaphorical trophy case."

"Exactly."

"What are you two talking about?" Sango finally spoke up, "Do you know where she is?"

"We have a hunch." Inuyasha and Souta responded at the same time. Sango gave them an odd look,

"Are you going to tell me?"

"No, I've asked too much from you both already." Inuyasha stepped towards Sango who rose from the couch where she had been trying to comfort Miroku.

"You're not going to do anything crazy are you?" Sango hugged her boss like she had never hugged him before. "Please don't do anything crazy."

"Don't worry, I'll be back in time for work tomorrow." He smiled down at her and gave her a tight squeeze, she let go of him and returned to Miroku who held her hand comfortingly.

"Come on, Souta." Inuyasha motioned for him to fallow him and Souta nodded. They closed the door behind them and Sango buried her face into Miroku's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and told her everything would be alright.

* * *

"Nnn.." Kagome mumbled and touched her head, a sharp pain made her hand recoil quickly. She opened her eyes to see her fingers laced with blood. What happened? She tried to remember and stared around the room, familiar things all around her, but they felt like a dream.

"Are you not happy to be back?" a voice seeped out from a shadowy corner of the room.

"Where am I?" She responded sitting up Kagome noticed she was on a lacy white bed, there was blood everywhere staining the pillows and covers.

"I brought you home." the voice came again, it sounded curious.

"I..." she hesitated. Her slight features furrowing in confusion, "I don't know this place." A sickening burst of laughter crackled out from the thing in the corner.

"How marvellous...can it really be true? It can't be, it just can't! It's too perfect. You've gone and done it again!" the darkness laughed hysterically talking to itself, each burst felt like a knife cutting into her, "I really chose the best, I really did. A child that resets herself at the faintest hint of trauma! It's too much fun to be true. Why, this is your very own room! My poor, sweet little girl."

"My..room?" Her eyes blinked slowly, it was hard to put thoughts together and she couldn't help but stair at the blood, done what again? Who's blood was this? His girl?

"Do you know who you are?" a male form began to emerge, forming out of the darkness like it was a part of him that didn't want to let go.

"No." she gasped as he appeared before her, a slim man with eerie features. His hair as dark as soot sat around his face in unruly waves. His suit was perfectly formed to his figure like the darkness, seeming to be a part of him.

"Do you know who I am?" He grinned at her.

"No..." she scooted backwards on the bed, but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Partly because she was afraid, partly because she didn't want to see the blood around her again.

"Do you want me to tell you who you are?" he stepped towards her, his long leg remarkably similar to a spider's. It made her shiver.

"Please, tell me." It felt so close, her memories. How had she lost them? No, it didn't feel like they were lost...it felt like they were buried in the remains of her mind. The pain in her head throbbed occasionally like burning cinders refusing to be snuffed out. Had this man caused the fire that ravaged her mind? She watched him carefully as he crept over to a large window and sat on a bench underneath it, it seemed weirdly small underneath his frame.

"This has happened before you know..." he began like he was about to tell her a rousing bedtime tale of fantasy and fairy tales. It almost seemed like he was having fun, but how could that be? It was so painful, the haze in her mind, and the frightening nonexistence one feels with no memories tying them to the anything.

"I've forgotten myself before?" her breath was strained and her chest felt tight, how could she be so careless with something so important? Nothing could be more painful than this feeling. He smiled and patted the bench beside him.

"Come and I will tell you everything, Kagome." Her legs responded to the name like puppies, deciding for her that she was going to get up and move across the room. Her heart felt cold like it was trying to warn her but the cinders in her head flared up and smoke rose into her eyes. Everything was black for a just a second, but when the smoke cleared from her vision she was sitting beside him and the dark man was holding her. "I love you Kagome, I'm your father." she just stared at him. "Awhile back you became lost, and ended up in an alley where you contracted amnesia I'm afraid you've gone and done something the sort again. You must take better care of yourself my dear." The concern and sympathy in his voice was so thick it was mocking. "I've found you again, my little treasure." He brushed his hand through her hair, his fingers lingering on the back of her head. She was painfully aware of his fingers as they prodded the flames. She couldn't tell lies from truth, but she could tell one thing. The pain in her head and the pain in her heart told her, this was the hand that started the fire.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled and tried to push him away, suddenly she was screaming. The pain was so immense she almost passed out as the man plunged his nails into her head. "STOP STOP!" she screamed in agony as tears ran down her face. The very idea of tears seemed impossible coming from the raging inferno of her mind.

"You have proven that memories are a privilege, not a right. I'm going to keep you safe from such pesky things. I'm going to make it so you can never form a memory again. Maybe then you will behave like a good little doll." his voice was inhuman, his words were insane. She couldn't survive his, and even if she did what would she be after?

"KAGOME!" a tortured cry dripped into her head. Who was that? She couldn't form words through her unending screams, she just wanted the pain to end. "SISTER!" another voice trickled through the flames. She was on the floor, there was so much blood around her, she gasped and clutched the back of her head.

"Ha ha ha...I knew you would make it to the show." Naraku grinned holding up his hand he pushed open the window leaving a bloody smear along the edge. "I'm just in the middle of fixing my daughter."

"Where is she! What are you doing to her!" Souta screamed at Naraku pounding his fists against the gate that had always kept him away from his sister. He sat in her bedroom window, the perfect stage.

"You of all people can appreciate this Souta," Naraku looked entirely unhinged as he marvelled his dripping crimson hand like it was proud handy work, "She's going to be so much happier without her memories."

"Kagome will never forget us!" he howled at his sister's captor.

"Oh but she already has, I'm just sealing the deal." he smiled and turned away from the window, returning in a moment supporting the slumped form of what vaguely resembled his sister.

"No..." Inuyasha gasped at the mortifying scene before them and Souta just stared in utter horrifying silence.

"Look Kagome," he grinned down at her brushing away a strand of hair from her face, "It's your friends." His words were jumbled messes to her, but she felt the cool night air brush against her face and it helped her form an unstable consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly and she stared down at the two forms trapped behind iron bars. Silver hair was shimmering in the moonlight, and she found herself finding comfort in it.

"Naraku please!" Inuyasha begged, "Please don't do this!" He had to buy some time while he picked the lock with his nail.

"I am simply supplying the trauma, she is the one abandoning her precious memories." he shrugged holding her up proudly, "She rather abandon you than deal with the pain." Naraku's eyes darted to the gate, "Your actions are futile, she's never going to return to you."

"Kagome, come on! Come back to me!" Her eyes widened at the sound of his voice before dimming again, it felt like she was going very far away. Inuyasha felt the air leaving him. "Please! Don't go! I love you...please..." tears streamed down his face as the lock finally fell and the gate creaked open. "Please don't forget me." he gasped running into the court yard, "I said I would keep you forever! No matter how far away you go, I WILL ALWAYS FIND YOU!"

"Admirable, I dare say! A daughter after my own heart. For who needs memories of worthless humans and hanyous?" Naraku grinned loving every minute of their torture.

"I do." Kagome whispered pushing him with all her remaining strength, she remembered. She remembered everything, Inuyasha was her everything. She would rather die than allow herself to forget about him. Better to be forgotten, than to forget. She felt free, like she was flying. Naraku's screams of terror were drowned out by the rushing of the wind in her ears. She didn't regret anything, this was all she could do to save her memories. 


End file.
